A Maryland man pleaded guilty to extorting business owners in Langley Park.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland said Jilmer Hernandez-Alvarado, 27, of Hyattsville is a member of MS-13, “an international criminal enterprise that is active throughout the United States.”
According to Hernandez-Alvarado’s plea, the gang created income from a number of sources, such as extorting money from businesses, including unlicensed businesses where the gang operated.
From February 2018 to December 2020, Hernandez-Alvarado along with other gang members planned to extort money or “rent” payments from several business owners through threats of violence, a Justice Department news release said.
They threatened to harm the business owners if they did not pay.
Hernandez-Alvarado faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the extortion conspiracy. He has a sentencing date of Dec. 5.