Four high-ranking members of the violent Nuestra Familia prison gang were sentenced earlier this week to prison terms ranging from 10 to nearly 15 years following their convictions for racketeering conspiracy, federal prosecutors said.
David Cervantes, 76; James Perez, 70; Guillermo Solorio, 45; and George Franco, 59 — described by prosecutors as senior members of the gang’s top leadership — were sentenced Tuesday in Oakland. Cervantes and Perez each received 120-month sentences, while Solorio and Franco were each sentenced to 175 months.
The sentences follow a three-month trial in 2024, during which federal prosecutors presented evidence that the four men served on the gang’s primary decision-making body. The jury found them guilty of participating in a long-running criminal enterprise that orchestrated drug trafficking, murder conspiracies, attempted murders, and money laundering both inside California prisons and on the streets, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said in a statement.
According to court documents, Cervantes, known as “DC,” was one of three “Generals” at the helm of the gang’s hierarchy. Cervantes was responsible for enforcing discipline, including approving violent actions against members deemed disloyal or in violation of gang rules.
Perez, or “Conejo,” served as the gang’s “General of Prisons,” overseeing gang operations and regiments throughout the California prison system. Franco (“Puppet”) and Solorio (“Capone”) were members of the gang’s Inner Council.
Franco led the San Joaquin County regiment and served as an advisor to the Generals. Solorio, who commanded the Monterey County street regiment, oversaw drug distribution and coordinated activity with subordinate Norteño gangs, federal prosecutors said.
“The brutal violence and drug trafficking that this criminal enterprise ran from within state prisons touched every county in the Bay Area. With these sentences, 40 gang leaders and associates have now been convicted and brought to justice for the violence they caused inside and outside prison walls, and the community is now safer as a result,” U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani said the sentencings marked “the final chapter in the successful dismantling of one of the most violent and entrenched prison gangs operating in California.”
Other senior leaders sentenced in the case include Antonio Guillen (“Chuco”), Trinidad Martinez (“Trino”), and Samuel Luna (“Sammy”), who each received prison terms ranging from 144 to 175 months for racketeering conspiracy, with additional findings for murder and attempted murder plots.
The prosecution of the syndicate’s leadership in Northern California also resulted in the conviction of mid and lower-level members, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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