Jose Douglass Castellano, a high-ranking member of the 18th Street gang, was sentenced on Apr. 7 at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn to more than 35 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy related to his role in the October 25, 2017 murder of Jonathan Figueroa. Castellano is the third and final leader sentenced under a broad indictment that included several murders and violent acts committed by members of the gang.
The sentencing concludes a significant prosecution targeting violent gang activity affecting communities across New York and other states. According to the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, these actions are part of ongoing efforts to address organized crime and protect residents from violence.
Junior Zelaya Canales, known as “Terco,” and Walter Fernando Alfaro Pineda, known as “Clever,” were each previously sentenced to forty years’ imprisonment earlier this year. Other co-defendants have also received lengthy sentences connected with murders in Hempstead, Queens, and additional assaults and shootings carried out by members seeking to enhance their status within the organization.
“These significant sentences send the message that our Office will never waiver in its efforts to eradicate the scourge of gang violence. It is my sincere hope that the justice meted out provides a measure of comfort and closure for the victims of these senseless crimes,” said United States Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr., who announced the sentences alongside FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle.
Barnacle said: “For years, these three high-ranking 18th Street gang members plagued our community with senseless violence, death, and tragedy without any consideration for public safety. May today’s significant sentences highlight the shared determination of the FBI’s Long Island Safe Streets Task Force and our law enforcement partners to dismantle a notorious international gang’s hierarchy.”
Court documents describe how members regularly engaged in murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, witness tampering and money laundering across New York State—including Queens and Long Island—and Houston Texas.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York operates as the designated federal prosecutor’s office covering Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island Nassau County and Suffolk County; it maintains offices in Brooklyn and Central Islip according to the official website. The office prosecutes federal crimes such as racketeering conspiracies like this case while also representing civil matters within its jurisdiction according to official information. Breon Peace currently serves as United States Attorney for this district as noted online.
The office supports community outreach initiatives along with victim assistance programs according to its website. The conclusion of this prosecution marks another step toward addressing violent organized crime groups operating within communities covered by this district.
