Four sentenced to prison for roles in Santa Rosa gang, racketeering

Three members and an associate of a Santa Rosa gang were sentenced Friday to prison for their participation in a racketeering conspiracy to commit violent crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The men, all tied to Varrio South Park, a norteñ o gang, were the last of eight original defendants to receive punishment for the crimes, which included murder, federal prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup reserved the stiffest sentence for gang leader David Martinez, 34, who received 18 years in prison. Martinez and Ruben Quiroz, 29, who was sentenced to 10 years, committed a robbery leading to a high-speed chase during which shots were fired at a victim, the prosecutors said.

Martinez and Quiroz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a robbery affecting interstate commerce, and Martinez admitted methamphetamine trafficking, prosecutors said.

Also, Samuel Tewolde, 32, and Cesar Castellanos, 31, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Tewolde was believed to have fired shots in a downtown Santa Rosa restaurant parking lot at someone he believed snitched on the gang, prosecutors said.

Castellanos shot at a fellow gang member whom he believed challenged his status and authority within the gang, prosecutors said. Also, Castellanos admitted witness tampering related to his threat to kill someone he believed would testify against Tewolde, prosecutors said.

Other defendants sentenced last year, all from Santa Rosa, were Edmund Deneiliom, who received 11 years and three months in prison; Lucio Mendoza and Kalin Carell, who each received six years and six months in prison; and Andrew Hill-Piccola, not considered a gang member, who got three years and one month.

The case stems from a 17-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in December 2013. Gang members and associates agreed to conduct the affairs of the gang through drug trafficking, witness intimidation, robbery and murder, the indictment said.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.