Texas Syndicate

Texas Syndicate gangsters headed to federal prison By DALE LEZON HOUSTON CHRONICLE Sept. 23, 2009, 9:24AM

Several members or associates of a well-known Texas prison gang have been sentenced in the last few weeks to federal prison for a variety of criminal activities, the U.S Attorney's Office in Houston said this morning.

The sentences were handed down after 17 Houston men tied to the Texas Syndicate were indicted in February 2007 in connections with murders, armed robberies and drug trafficking, federal officials said.

Fourteen of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization, or RICO, statute.

Among those sentenced are Willie "Jacker" Valdez, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Also sentenced were Rene "Slick" Gonzales Jr. and Johnny "Payaso" Perez Jr., who each received 22-year prison terms.

Francisco "Butcher" Nuncio Jr. and Roberto "Little Rob" Ybarra were both sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Michael "Mikeo" Thaman was sentenced to 17 1/2 years, while James Kessler was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Jesus "Peanut" Galvan Jr. and Roberto "Flaco" Garza both were sentenced to 12 years. Michael "Little Mike" Almaraz was sentenced to 10 years and Robbie Lee "Sleepy" Danas was sentenced to more than seven years.

The remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in November 2009. Federal authorities said that from August 1999 through February 2006, the defendants were engaged in racketeering through their membership or association with the Texas Syndicate, a dominant prison gang in the state that originated in the 1970s and operates inside and outside lockups.

One or more of the defendants were involved in three murders, two attempted murders, conspiracy to commit murder, five aggravated robberies or cocaine and marijuana trafficking.

The five-year investigation that lead to the indictment was a combined effort of the FBI, the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Baytown Police Department as well as the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

dale.lezon@chron. com