BOSTON (AP) — A leader of the MS-13 gang in Massachusetts has been ordered to nearly 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to racketeering.
Federal authorities say 24-year-old Jose Vasquez, of Somerville, was sentenced to 212 years in prison on Thursday and three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors say Vasquez was leader of a local MS-13 clique and helped run the gang’s criminal affairs.
He also was accused of participating in a 2014 failed murder attempt in Boston and of helping bury knives and clothing after a 2016 killing by fellow gang members.
His arrest was part of a sweep of MS-13 in Massachusetts that has led to convictions against 49 members, including 16 convicted of murder.
Authorities say the gang was responsible for six murders between October 2014 and January 2016.
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