The final two defendants involved in the robbery of El Hipopótamo Restaurant, which led to the death of 15-year-old Jesús Francisco Pérez, have been sentenced. United States District Court Judge Pedro A. Delgado-Hernández delivered the sentences.
Basilio Matías-Fajardo received a sentence of 21 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Matías-Fajardo, an employee at El Hipopótamo, was found guilty by a federal jury on August 12, 2024. His charges included conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery and aiding and abetting both the interference with commerce through robbery and the use, carrying, and discharging of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Luis Cabán-Nieves was sentenced to 11 years in prison with an additional five years of supervised release for his role in the robbery.
On November 13, 2024, Geofley Jomar Pérez received a sentence of 31 years and nine months in prison with five years of supervised release. Edwin Peña-Valdéz was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Earlier, on November 12, 2024, Jospe Jomar Santos-Mercado was sentenced to 24 years and three months in prison with five years of supervised release. Luis Aulet-Maldonado received a sentence of 26 years and three months in prison along with five years of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that the defendants orchestrated an armed robbery at El Hipopótamo Restaurant. During this incident, three individuals were kidnapped and Pérez was fatally shot twice.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow from the District of Puerto Rico and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge at the FBI San Juan Field Office.
The FBI conducted the investigation into this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linet Suárez and Julian Radzinschi from the Violent Crime Division handled the prosecution.