A Maryland member of the international gang Mara Salvatrucha, widely known as MS-13, has pleaded guilty to extortion charges, according to federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Maryland said that Jilmer “Toro” Hernandez-Alvarado, 27, most recently of Hyattsville, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to extort business owners.
He was a part of the Fulton “clique,” one of MS-13’s smaller branches that make up its larger operation throughout Maryland.
Federal prosecutors said Hernandez-Alvarado participated in the extortion scheme that targeted businesses, including unlicensed businesses, in the Langley Park area from at least February 2018 to December 2020.
Hernandez-Alvarado, among other members of MS-13, coerced weekly “rent” payments from business owners operating in the gang’s territory by threatening the owners with violence if they didn’t pay.
The attorney’s office said that Hernandez-Alvarado faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the extortion conspiracy. He is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 5.