Prison sentence in gang-related murder.

A man from New Jersey has been sentenced to prison in connection with a gang-related murder in Virginia.

According to a release, 32-year-old Jose Gimenez-Lobos, also known as Terrible, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for conspiring to participate in a murder in connection with his participation in La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.

Court documents show he was a member and leader in an MS-13 clique in New Jersey when he and other MS-13 members gathered at an apartment in Richmond on Nov. 23, 2014.

The victim, a member of a rival gang called the Sureños, was also at the apartment.

MS-13 rules dictate that members are not allowed to associate with members of rival gangs. Those rules also require MS-13 members to assault or murder rival gang members.

“This case is a clear example of the severe threat organized criminal gangs pose to our communities,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The normalization of petty violence, such as killing another person because of their perceived rival affiliation, is illustrative of how dangerous these organizations can be.”

When Gimenez-Lobos realized someone from a rival gang was at the apartment, he encouraged other MS-13 members to confront that person.

Evidence shows he and co-conspirators went into another room in the apartment where they decided to kill the victim.

They then assaulted the Sureño member and took his knife that Gimenez-Lobos used to stab the victim several times.

A co-defendant, Darwin Solorzano-Quintanilla, then took a BB gun and beat the victim about the head with it.

Another co-defendant, Francisco Lemus-Castillo, then used his own knife to stab the victim several more times.

The victim died of the stab wounds he suffered.

“Because of the dedicated efforts of the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners, Gimenez-Lobos and his fellow MS-13 gang members will no longer be able to terrorize their communities using fear, violence, and intimidation,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This case demonstrates the Department’s commitment to dismantling this violent criminal organization and pursuing justice for its victims.”

In 2021, Solorzano-Quintanilla of Chesterfield was sentenced to life in prison.

Earlier this year, Lemus-Castillo of Chesterfield was also sentenced to life in prison.