Shryock

In these consolidated appeals, Defendants Appellants Alex Aguirre (“Aguirre”), Juan Arias (“Arias”), Daniel Barela (“Barela”), Ruben Castro (“R. Castro”), David Gallardo (“Gallardo”), Joe Hernandez (“J.Hemandez”), Ruben Hernandez (“R. Hernandez”), Raymond Mendez (“Mendez”), Jesse Moreno (“Moreno”), Raymond Shryock (“Shryock”), and Randy Therrien (“Therrien”), (collectively “Appellants”), appeal from their convictions and sentences following an eight-month jury trial. Appellants were charged with various offenses arising from their involvement with the Mexican Mafia, also know as La Erne.

The jury convicted each Appellant of a substantive violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) under 18 U.S.C. § 1962 (c), conspiracy to violate RICO under 18 U.S.C. § 1962 (d), and — except Moreno — conspiracy to aid and abet narcotics trafficking in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 .

The jury also convicted individual Appellants of other crimes. For murder to maintain or increase their position in a RICO enterprise, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959 (a)(1) and (2), the jury convicted Aguirre of one count, Gallardo of three counts, Shryock of one count, and Therrien…