Former Somerville MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty To Murder

SOMERVILLE, MA — A leader of a local MS-13 group operating in the vicinity of Somerville has pleaded guilty to a 2010 murder of a man in Chelsea, The United States Attorney’s Office announced.

Jose Vasquez, 31, has officially pleaded guilty to one count of a violent crime in aid of racketeering. On Dec. 18 2010, police responded to a scene underneath a Route 1 on-ramp in Chelsea in which they found a 28-year-old man with 10 stab wounds throughout his body. According to the Attorney’s Office, a recent reexamination of evidence tied Vasquez to the crime. His palm print was discovered on the handle of a knife recovered from the crime scene. It is believed that Vasquez and his fellow MS-13 members targeted the victim because they believed he was a part of a rival gang.

Vasquez’s new charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison. He is currently serving a 17-year prison term for conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, which began in 2018. His sentencing for the murder is scheduled for Monday, June 30.