COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH)– A local man pleaded guilty in federal court in Columbus Thursday morning to participating in a racketeering conspiracy on behalf of the transnational criminal organization MS-13.

In his plea, Juan Flores-Castro (also known as Juan Pablo Guerra-Flores and “Duende”), 32, of Columbus, accepted responsibility for committing murder and trafficking cocaine and marijuana on behalf of MS-13. 

Parties involved in Flores-Castro’s case have recommended a sentence of 35 to 40 years in prison.

The defendant is one of 23 members and associates of MS-13 in Columbus charged in a February 2018 second superseding indictment. He is the twentieth defendant to plead guilty.

The defendants are charged in a racketeering conspiracy, which includes five murders as well as attempted murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, assault, obstruction of justice, witness intimidation, weapons offenses, and immigration-related violations.

Among other crimes, Flores-Castro is charged for his role in the December 2016 murder of Salvador Martinez-Diaz, a suspected rival 18th Street gang member. According to court documents, this homicide was carefully planned.  Just after 3 am on Dec. 4, 2016, MS-13 members waited outside the apartment of Martinez-Diaz and opened fire on him with pistols, shooting him multiple times and killing him. The members of the transnational gang then disposed of evidence of their crime.  Flores-Castro admitted that he and other co-conspirators conducted surveillance of the victim, followed him home, and were in contact with the shooters in the moments leading up to the murder.

Flores-Castro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering.