In a recent development within the justice system's ongoing battle against gang violence, Juan Amaya-Ramirez, known as "Cadaver," an associate of the notorious MS-13 gang, has been sentenced to a 45-year prison term for his part in the 2018 murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta. The sentencing, delivered by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall in Brooklyn, was announced by key federal law enforcement officials.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York described the details of the case, which involved the defendants luring Peralta into Queens' Kissena Park, where they attacked and ultimately killed him. Amaya-Ramirez and co-defendant Oscar Flores-Mejia, also an MS-13 associate, pleaded guilty to the murder in September 2024, with Flores-Mejia's sentencing still pending.
United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. highlighted the heinous nature of the crime, stating, "The senselessness of this murder is matched only by its brutality." According to the evidence presented, Peralta was targeted because he was mistakenly believed to be affiliated with the 18th Street gang, a rival to MS-13. The plot to kill Peralta included involving a 16-year-old boy in the murder and leveraging Amaya-Ramirez's then-girlfriend to make contact and draw the victim to the park, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During the murder, the assailants inflicted severe beatings upon Peralta, who begged for his life before being suffocated and stabbed. The perpetrators then photographed themselves over Peralta's lifeless body, a stark representation of their gang allegiance. They proceeded to steal from Peralta and attempted to hide his body near water, where it was discovered the following day.
This sentencing continues the concerted efforts by federal authorities to dismantle the MS-13 organization, which has seen hundreds of its members, including numerous clique leaders, convicted of federal felonies since 2003. The government's investigations leading to these convictions have been spearheaded by Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force. The case against Amaya-Ramirez was overseen by Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia E. Moore, Jonathan Siegel, and Anna L. Karamigios of the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section.
