Two Additional Defendants Indicted in Case Involving El Hipopótamo Restaurant

DOJ Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 16, 2022, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a four-count, second superseding indictment against six defendants for conspiracy to rob El Hipopótamo restaurant on October 31, 2021, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.  Four of the defendants had been previously indicted for armed carjacking and kidnapping, which resulted in the death of J.F.P.  The FBI is in charge of the investigation.

The second superseding indictment charges Basilio Matías-Fajardo, an employee of the El Hipopótamo restaurant, and Edwin Peña-Valdez with conspiring to rob El Hipopótamo restaurant, together with Geofley Jomar-Pérez, Luis Aulet-Maldonado, Luis Cabán-Nieves, and José Jomar Santos-Mercado. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Suárez of the Violent Crime Division is in charge of the prosecution of the case.  For the additional count in the second superseding indictment, the defendants face a possible sentence of 20 years in prison.  The remaining counts have a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. 

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


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