A man charged in a federal racketeering indictment of the Orange County chapter of the Mexican Mafia faces up to 30 years in federal prison following his conviction for a jail attack in 2019, prosecutors said Friday.
Robert Amezcua, 52, was convicted Thursday on one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering for an attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to prosecutors. Amezcua was scheduled to be sentenced May 20.
Amezcua joined an attack on inmate Michael Cooper on Dec. 31, 2019, in the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange, prosecutors said.
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Amezcua pummeled Cooper while another inmate slashed the victim's throat with a razor blade, prosecutors said. Amezcua was among 31 defendants named in the indictment against the Mexican Mafia in 2022.
Co-defendant Mher Darbinyan, 48, of Los Angeles pleaded guilty on Jan. 3 to conspiracy to commit assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Darbinyan is scheduled to be sentenced April 22 and co-defendant Robert Martinez, 41, of Placentia, is scheduled to go on trial June 25 in the jail attack as well as other charges, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, reputed Orange County Mexican Mafia chief Johnny Martinez, allegedly discussed with co-defendant Omar Mejia an order to kill Cooper while in custody at Calipatria State Prison.
Cooper was in trouble with the gang for ordering an attack on another gang member that Martinez had not signed off on, prosecutors alleged. Cooper was also suspected of triggering a police raid against the gang, prosecutors alleged.
Cooper was attacked Jan. 5, 2018, but survived, and was attacked again on New Year's Eve 2019, prosecutors said.
So far, 15 defendants in the indictment have pleaded guilty. Three others were convicted last year for murder and are awaiting sentencing.
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