Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Edwin Amaya-Sanchez, also known as “Strong,” was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Gary R. Brown. Amaya-Sanchez, a member of the Guanacos Lil Cycos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, had pleaded guilty in April 2018 to firearms-related murder charges related to his involvement in the July 14, 2014, murder of Jose Lainez-Murcia in Brentwood. Lainez-Murcia was shot and killed while sitting in a car outside his home.
The sentencing was announced by Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, and Robert E. Waring, Acting Commissioner of the Suffolk County Police Department.
“As Amaya-Sanchez admitted, the murder he committed was premeditated and brutal. Now he will have a long time to think about his cruel actions as he serves his sentence behind bars,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to eliminate MS-13 and the threat this transnational criminal enterprise presents to our community.”
“After ten years, justice has been served. In 2014, Edwin Amaya-Sanchez, a MS-13 gang member, meticulously planned the calculated murder of Jose Lainez-Murcia based upon unverified assumptions of his involvement in the deaths of former MS-13 affiliates. Today’s sentencing affirms the FBI’s relentless commitment to eradicating the presence of violent gangs in our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis.
“Edwin Amaya-Sanchez’s calculated actions to seek out the victim at his home are proof that he would stop at nothing to carry out his crimes,” Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner Robert Waring said. “This sentencing sends a message that the Suffolk County Police Department and its law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to combat violent criminal enterprises and bring justice to the victims and their families.”
As detailed in the government’s sentencing memorandum and during the sentencing, Amaya-Sanchez and other MS-13 members orchestrated Lainez-Murcia’s murder because they suspected he was an assassin responsible for killing MS-13 members in El Salvador. Amaya-Sanchez had intimate knowledge of Lainez-Murcia’s routine as they had previously worked together. On the morning of July 14, 2014, Amaya-Sanchez drove two armed MS-13 members to Lainez-Murcia’s neighborhood. As Lainez-Murcia entered his car, the assailants approached and fired multiple times, killing him. Amaya-Sanchez then picked up the shooters and fled the scene.
An undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, Amaya-Sanchez had previously been deported from the United States but illegally returned. He was initially arrested on September 21, 2015, on federal immigration charges and pleaded guilty to these charges in April 2016. During today’s hearing, Judge Brown also sentenced Amaya-Sanchez to time served for the immigration charge. Following the completion of his 292-month sentence, Amaya-Sanchez faces deportation from the United States.
