Gomez

NOT FOR PUBLICATION FILED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS APR 23 2025

MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK

U.S. COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, No. 23-653 D.C. No. Plaintiff - Appellee, 1:18-cr-00002-JLT-SKO-1 v.

MEMORANDUM*

ISRAEL ALBERTO RIVAS

GOMEZ, AKA Pirra, AKA Israel Gomez Gomez,

Defendant - Appellant.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California Jennifer L. Thurston, District Judge, Presiding

Submitted March 4, 2025* San Francisco, California

Before: WARDLAW, PAEZ, and LEE, Circuit Judges.

Israel Alberto Rivas-Gomez (“Rivas”) appeals his convictions for murder

and kidnapping in aid of racketeering under 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1) (“VICAR”).

We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, and we affirm.

On the evening of December 18, 2019, Abel Rodriguez (“Rodriguez”) was

* This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3. kidnapped and murdered by several individuals associated with the gang MS-13—

“Molesto,” “Pilancho,” “Little Whisper,” Rivas, and Marcos…