Press Release
Contact:
CHRISTOPHER M. O’CONNOR
ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY
PHONE: (616) 456-2406
THREE SUREÑO 13 GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON
APRIL 10, 2009 - GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan –Holland, Michigan residents William VanEyck, age 24;
Gonzalo Venegas, age 22; and Rigoberto Rubio-Castillo, age 22, were sentenced to federal prison
for their roles in obtaining and using firearms to commit drive-by and walk-by shootings in Ottawa
and Allegan counties in 2007, U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge
Robert Holmes Bell sentenced VanEyck to serve 54 months in prison; Venegas to serve 37 months
in prison; and Rubio-Castillo to serve 48 months in prison. Additionally, each defendant will serve
three years of supervised release after incarceration.
In the summer and fall of 2007, several communities in West Michigan were plagued by a series of drive-by and walk-by shootings of occupied residences. Those shootings were planned and executed by members of the Sureño 13 gang (“SUR 13”) operating in West Michigan. Upon pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a .357 Magnum revolver, VanEyck admitted to being a member of the gang and committing one of those shootings using the revolver. At the time of the shootings, Venegas, who also pled guilty to being a felon in possession of the .357 Magnum revolver, was the operational leader of the SUR 13 gang who frequently drove the vehicle and supplied the weapon to be used in the shooting. Rubio-Castillo pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm. Rubio-Castillo admitted to taking possession of a stolen Norinco rifle and providing that firearm to Venegas for safekeeping. No citizens were injured in the shootings.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the collaborative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the local agencies that participated in the investigation of these firearms offenses, particularly the Holland Police Department, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, and the West Michigan Enforcement Team. Mr. Davis said, “One of the priorities of the Department of Justice is targeting gang violence through aggressive enforcement of firearms laws. This prosecution reflects the value of federal, state, and local partnerships in removing violent felons – and those who supply firearms to felons and gang members – from our communities. These coordinated efforts have proven successful at combating gang violence and preventing the rise of both domestic and transnational gang activity in western Michigan.”
The charges against these gang members were brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”) initiative. PSN links federal, state, and local law enforcement in a coordinated effort to deter gun violence and prosecute serious gun crimes in federal court. Citizens with information concerning illegal guns, gangs with guns, armed drug trafficking or the trafficking of illegal guns are encouraged to call 1-800-ATF-GUNS. Callers can remain anonymous. This number is managed and answered by federal law enforcement officials who work directly with local police departments.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Christopher M. O’Connor.
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