RIVERHEAD, NY — Wednesday — A 23-year-old MS-13 gang member who violently kidnapped and beat a 15-year-old inside Pilgrim Psychiatric Center was sentenced today in Suffolk County Court, capping a disturbing case that drew national attention and led to a deportation detainer from federal immigration officials.
Yeison “Yerba” Chavez Campos, of Huntington Station, was convicted of gang assault, kidnapping, and related charges after prosecutors said he and fellow MS-13 members lured the teenage boy into an abandoned building at the Brentwood psychiatric facility and carried out a brutal attack. The victim, who suffered severe head trauma, was found beaten and bloodied after being held overnight.
The assault occurred inside a shuttered portion of the sprawling Pilgrim State complex in September, where Chavez Campos and others reportedly tied up the teen, beat him with blunt objects, and recorded parts of the attack to intimidate rivals, authorities said during trial proceedings earlier this year.
Chavez Campos, who entered the U.S. illegally from El Salvador, was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft, Jr. on Wednesday morning at the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex. The sentence follows his June conviction on charges of Gang Assault in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Conspiracy, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon.
After serving his sentence, Chavez Campos will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under a detainer lodged by the agency. Officials confirmed that deportation proceedings will follow his release from state custody.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney addressed reporters outside the courtroom following the sentencing, reaffirming his office’s focus on dismantling violent street gangs operating in Suffolk County. He emphasized the role of local, state, and federal partnerships in prosecuting transnational criminal organizations like MS-13.
The teen victim survived the attack but continues to recover from long-term injuries. Prosecutors said he was targeted by MS-13 over suspected gang-related disputes, though he was not confirmed to be a gang member.
The Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, once the largest psychiatric hospital in the nation, has long contained abandoned buildings that authorities say are occasionally used by criminal groups for illicit activity.
Chavez Campos remains held in Suffolk County and will be transferred to a state correctional facility within the coming days.
Key Points
- Yeison “Yerba” Chavez Campos was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the kidnapping and assault of a 15-year-old at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center
- The victim was tied up and brutally attacked by MS-13 members inside an abandoned building at the Brentwood facility
- ICE has issued a detainer for Chavez Campos, who is in the U.S. illegally, and will deport him after his prison term
Justice came down hard in Riverhead as a violent MS-13 enforcer begins a long stretch behind bars.