SPOKANE, WA — Three Washington men were sentenced in federal court for their leadership roles in aiding the criminal activities of La Nuestra Familia (NF), a nationwide prison gang with roots in the late 1960s.
Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Jacenir Amezcua DaSilva of Moses Lake to 120 months in federal prison on gun charges, Jesus Antonio Mirelez of Yakima to 83 months on gun charges, and Thomas Lee Weatherwax of Spokane to 75 months on money laundering and drug conspiracy counts.
Weatherwax’s sentence will follow his current state prison sentence for assault with a deadly weapon. Following their prison sentences, they will each undergo supervised release time.
According to federal authorities, the men helped promote the Norteño worldview in Washington State by recruiting and indoctrinating kids.
Officials classified the National Front as a violent organization that maintains control through intimidation, guns, and money laundering.
DaSilva, also known as “Serio,” was identified as the commander of the Pancho Villa Loco Norteño gang at Moses Lake and granted authority over Norteño operations in Grant County.
Mirelez, also known as “Dizzy,” was previously sentenced in 2022 for firearms violations related to various shooting scenes in Yakima and eventually rose to leadership within the La Raza community.
Weatherwax, better known as “Wax,” continued his illegal activities while serving a lengthy prison sentence, directing narcotics smuggling and financial operations for NF from within the Washington prison Penitentiary.
U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano stated that even incarceration did not deter the men from committing violent crimes. “The significant sentences imposed in these cases reflect the lengths to which federal law enforcement will go to protect our communities from being preyed upon by dangerous gang members,” according to his statement.
The ATF, DEA, Bureau of Prisons, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Yakima Police Department, and Washington State Department of Corrections all worked together on the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin Baunsgard and Benjamin Seal prosecuted the case.
