Following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, a Dominican national was sentenced on Friday to an additional 30 years’ in prison after being convicted of hiring others to viciously slash his ex-girlfriend on June 2, 2015 in the Bronx, New York, and to murder her boyfriend on March 20, 2016 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Omar Adonis Guzman-Martinez, 46, planned and caused others to carry out those crimes while incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution at Fort Dix, New Jersey (FCI Fort Dix), using contraband cellphones to stalk, threaten, and induce others to commit crimes of violence against his victims.
“Even while incarcerated, Guzman-Martinez thought that he was above the law.”
“It was under his command that one individual was slashed and another was murdered,” explained Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge for HSI New York.
“But, it is clear that his actions are not without consequence.”
“His connection to these violent crimes has more than doubled his time in prison, and today’s sentencing serves as notice to criminals like Guzman-Martinez that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Omar Adonis Guzman-Martinez, already serving a prison term on narcotics charges, ordered and oversaw the brutal slashing of his ex-girlfriend and the cold-blooded contract killing of her boyfriend.”
“Today he has rightly been handed a lengthy additional prison term for the murder and mayhem he orchestrated from his prison cell,” added U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman.
According to the indictment, other filings in Manhattan federal court, and statements made in court proceedings, throughout his incarceration in the United States, Guzman-Martinez used contraband cellphones to engage in a course of conduct intended to harass, intimidate, and threaten his ex-girlfriend (Victim-1).
As part of that course of conduct, Guzman-Martinez, among other things, caused co-conspirators to slash Victim-1 and to murder Victim-1’s boyfriend (Victim-2), as described below.
(Learn About ICE HSI. Law enforcement can more effectively collaborate to form a force multiplier of resources and capabilities in the ever-expanding global world of crime. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) bridges the gap. HSI has the ability to follow the “pipeline” and to proactively pursue the larger networks of illicit activities. HSI can serve as a force multiplier from anywhere domestic; from Minot, ND to New York City – to almost anywhere around the world with our international partners, either through the Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIU’s) – which expand HSI’s footprint and enhance cooperation between partner nations and the United States – or through our 63 HSI International Attaché offices. State and Local law enforcement has the ability to leverage HSI’s unique legal authorities and global footprint to help combat crimes in their community; such as the growth and proliferation of transnational crimes and the rampant and far reaching cyber crimes – most notably, the darknet. Courtesy of IACP and YouTube)
Specifically, in mid-June 2015, while incarcerated at FCI Fort Dix, Guzman-Martinez began recruiting co-conspirators to carry out a violent slashing of Victim-1, with whom Guzman-Martinez has two children.
Guzman-Martinez eventually found two young men from Puerto Rico (the “Slashers”) who agreed to cut Victim-1 in exchange for payment.
Guzman-Martinez then arranged for the Slashers to fly from Puerto Rico to Orlando, Florida, where they tried to find an opportunity to attack Victim-1.
When the Slashers failed to carry out the attack in Florida, Guzman-Martinez arranged for them and Victim-1 to travel to the Bronx, New York, where the Slashers carried out the attack using box cutters.
By late-2015, Guzman-Martinez had also started causing co-conspirators in the Dominican Republic to attempt to locate, stalk, surveil, and ultimately kill Victim-2, who was dating Victim-1 at the time.
By March 2016, Guzman-Martinez had identified someone willing to carry out the shooting in return for payment (the ‘Shooter’), and he caused another co-conspirator to acquire a firearm for the Shooter to use.
Shortly before 1:00 a.m. on March 20, 2016, outside a nightclub in Sabana Perdida, Santo Domingo, the Shooter shot Victim-2 in the back of the head, killing him.
Victim-1 was present at the scene.
Guzman-Martinez was in phone contact with co-conspirators as the shooting occurred and caused a sum of money to be paid to the Shooter for carrying out the murder.
In this investigation, HSI was assisted by the New York City Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Mr. Berman praised the outstanding investigative efforts of HSI, the New York City Police Department, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and Special Agent Investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello and Jacob Warren are in charge of the prosecution.
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