Three men from South Florida are facing life in prison following a federal jury conviction for their roles in a murder-for-hire plot. The U.S. Justice Department reported yesterday that Rolando Ramirez, 52, of Doral, and Rasheed “Fresh” Ali, 39, of Miami, were found guilty of a slew of charges, including solicitation of a crime of violence and murder for hire. Alongside these two, Tamrat “Shifta” Mason, 41, of Miami was also convicted for tampering with the investigation leading to their arrest in August 2024.
The case, which unfolded in the Southern District of Florida, revolves around a business dispute gone dangerously awry. During a contentious federal lawsuit over non-competition clauses, Ramirez reportedly threatened the unnamed victim, a local businessman, with death. Eager to settle the debt, Ali and Mason roped in a New York marijuana distributor, Jaime Serrano, pressuring him into agreeing to assassinate Ramirez's rival. Ali even associated Ramirez with the "Cuban Mafia," a term found amidst court records. In August 2019, the plot culminated with Serrano and an associate, Julian Jimenez, executing a near-fatal shooting on the victim.
Tampering with the investigation further, as the U.S. Attorney's Office reports, the trio attempted to cover up their involvement, a move that only added to their legal woes. Co-conspirators Jimenez and Serrano have already received sentences of 35 and 50 years, respectively, for their part in the interstate stalking and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime.
With the conviction sealed, the defendants await sentencing scheduled for September 5, before U.S. District Court Judge Roy K. Altman. The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Miami collaboratively investigated this case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Michael Gilfarb leading the prosecution. Until the sentencing hearing gives a final decision, the accused are still considered innocent, as the Justice Department points out. This presumption of innocence stays in place until their guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
For those interested in the legal proceedings and case documents, further information is available through the District Court's official website and PACER system, under case number 24-cr-20341.
