EME member disappears feared murdered POMONA

[mayugastank]

With murder conspiracy trial imminent, alleged gang member disappears
By Will Bigham on February 14, 2009 2:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Three days before he was scheduled to appear in Pomona Superior Court on murder conspiracy charges last month, Darryl Castrejon disappeared.

The reputed Mexican Mafia member managed to post $1 million bail after he and three other men were arrested and charged in 2005 with conspiring to kill Frankie Buelna, 61, another Mexican Mafia member.

For more than three years, Castrejon appeared in Pomona Superior Court each time he was required.

But on Jan. 27, he failed to appear.

His wife initially believed Castrejon had been arrested on Jan. 24 by federal agents, but prosecutors now say they know that's untrue.

Castrejon's defense attorney says he's had no contact with Castrejon and has no idea where he is.

His wife has also said she's not in contact with Castrejon, and has no knowledge of his whereabouts.

The 49-year-old could be dead, out of the country, out of the state, or hiding in the local area -- prosecutors say they have not been able to rule out any possibility.

"I don't know what to believe. I really don't," said Deputy District Attorney Todd Hicks, who successfully prosecuted Castrejon's three co-defendants and will prosecute Castrejon if he's found. "I don't know if he's in the state, out of the country. I don't know."

Castrejon and his three co-defendants wanted to kill Buelna because they believed he was conducting gang activities in Pomona neighborhoods where he did not have gang permission, prosecutors allege.

Police were listening in on the conspirators' phone conversations, and stopped the plot before it was carried out.

Buelna was shot and killed in 2006 at Characters Sports Bar in downtown Pomona.

That case remains unsolved, and authorities say they do not know whether the killing is connected to the earlier murder plot.



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Castrejon's three co-conspirators -- Julio Ponce Felix Jr., 35, Arthur Garcia, 38, and Ricardo Polanco, 26 -- were each convicted by a jury last year and sentenced to prison terms of 85 years to life, 55 years to life and 50 years to life, respectively.

Castrejon, the alleged shot-caller in the plot, was set to face trial this month and also faced a life prison term if convicted.

"Trial was forthcoming, imminent," Hicks said.

Hicks said that on Jan. 23, a parole officer told him he heard Castrejon had been arrested for a cold-case murder in San Bernardino County.

Hicks said he called Castrejon's defense attorney, Albert Perez Jr., to try to verify the tip. Perez told him he had heard nothing about it, both men said in interviews.

About an hour after Hicks contacted Perez on Jan. 23, Perez said he called Castrejon's home to see if he had been taken into custody.

Perez said Castrejon answered the phone, and said he was at home in Fontana with his wife.

The next day, Castrejon disappeared.

According to his wife, Castrejon drove to to his father-in-law's home in Fontana, then went missing.

Castrejon left his car and cell phone at his father-in-law's home, Hicks said.

According to Perez, Castrejon's wife initially told him she believed Castrejon had been arrested as part of a federal indictment.

Hicks said Castrejon is not in federal custody, nor has he been notified that Castrejon has been arrested anywhere else.

In an interview Friday, Perez said he still knew nothing about Castrejon's whereabouts. He said Castrejon's wife told him she knew nothing as well.

"We've been looking for him without much success," Hicks said, adding that there's "no evidence of where he is -- dead or otherwise. We're still looking."

The week Castrejon failed to appear in Pomona, a judge revoked his bail bond and issued a new no-bail warrant for his arrest.

Castrejon also failed to appear in court last week on a drug case in San Bernardino County.

In order to secure his $1 million bond in Pomona, Castrejon put up his daughter's home and his father-in-law's home as collateral, Hicks said.

Those properties will likely be seized by Castrejon's bonding agency if Castrejon fled the area to avoid facing trial.

[mayugastank]

This guy is one of the most prominent members of the EME , he was fighting major drug smuggling charges connected to the Arellano-Felix cartel, in some deals he was caught discussing million dollar moves. It is unlikely he was killed as his reputation proceeds him. He was known as a stand up guy. One of the few members in the area. He had outlived most EME members. It is thought he fled the area -after getting information that he was about to be re-arrested on a cold case murder. That murder involved a man in the San Bernadino area from around 1991. Known for his calm demeanor and ability to make things happen at the drop of hat -he could be anywhere.

[youngspade]

This guy is one of the most prominent members of the EME , he was fighting major drug smuggling charges connected to the Arellano-Felix cartel, in some deals he was caught discussing million dollar moves. It is unlikely he was killed as his reputation proceeds him. He was known as a stand up guy. One of the few members in the area. He had outlived most EME members. It is thought he fled the area -after getting information that he was about to be re-arrested on a cold case murder. That murder involved a man in the San Bernadino area from around 1991. Known for his calm demeanor and ability to make things happen at the drop of hat -he could be anywhere.

So he was gunna get murdered for going in a restricted area?

Thats fucking stupid. EME is really losing its "MAFIA" codename from me, its just a bunch of Chicanos with MONEY, not MOBSTERs! There so unorganized but organized its riduclous!

[mayugastank]

Yea the mystic of mafia really is over for them-its virtually impossible to be a known EME member and make money out in the open. They have to do it by proxy through someone else and then it almsot guarantees someone will flip.Look at the amount of wiretaps-extortion charges-cold case murders, federal cases and huge investments by the Feds against the EME. It all started once that movie was made AMERICAN ME. Before that -everyone kinda knew their was an EME but they werent sure-to say NO One had ever really admitted its existence in public. Even after 50+ years of being around. After the movie -they were placed out in the open and everything they do know is wiretapped and watched. Being hidden is what kept them alive and out, their low membership was an advantage -now as soon as someone is labeled mafia affiliated they are done! its just a matter of time. For all its worth that movie was the end of their power. In the 70s about 30 murders were committed by the EME -they were getting out and putting fools down -collect taxes, and committing murders of sntches and rivals. They made millions-when the group was arrested -they didnt even label them Mexican Mafia. The one guy who snitched -was looked at as a looney -no one believed their was an EME. To say the least all teh guys connected to the movie -were murdered. It was the worst thing they ever did -the feds started up a task force to strikely investigate LA EME. Since 1993. All the cases against them started after that. I mean look at the Federal trial in LA in 1995. They dismantled them. Took out 13 actual members discussing deals on tape. They werent but maybe 25 of them in all LA and they got more then half on that one trial. Most of the cases you hear about where they get EME members arent even real EME members just associates. Darryl was the only guy in this case who was a member. In the San Diego Fed trial only 2 out of the 40 people arrested were members. Their numbers are extremely low. At the highest they are thought to have 300 people.

[alexalonso]

Yea the mystic of mafia really is over for them-its virtually impossible to be a known EME member and make money out in the open. They have to do it by proxy through someone else and then it almsot guarantees someone will flip.Look at the amount of wiretaps-extortion charges-cold case murders, federal cases and huge investments by the Feds against the EME. It all started once that movie was made AMERICAN ME. Before that -everyone kinda knew their was an EME but they werent sure-to say NO One had ever really admitted its existence in public. Even after 50+ years of being around. After the movie -they were placed out in the open and everything they do know is wiretapped and watched. Being hidden is what kept them alive and out, their low membership was an advantage -now as soon as someone is labeled mafia affiliated they are done! its just a matter of time. For all its worth that movie was the end of their power. In the 70s about 30 murders were committed by the EME -they were getting out and putting fools down -collect taxes, and committing murders of sntches and rivals. They made millions-when the group was arrested -they didnt even label them Mexican Mafia. The one guy who snitched -was looked at as a looney -no one believed their was an EME. To say the least all teh guys connected to the movie -were murdered. It was the worst thing they ever did -the feds started up a task force to strikely investigate LA EME. Since 1993. All the cases against them started after that. I mean look at the Federal trial in LA in 1995. They dismantled them. Took out 13 actual members discussing deals on tape. They werent but maybe 25 of them in all LA and they got more then half on that one trial. Most of the cases you hear about where they get EME members arent even real EME members just associates. Darryl was the only guy in this case who was a member. In the San Diego Fed trial only 2 out of the 40 people arrested were members. Their numbers are extremely low. At the highest they are thought to have 300 people.

In San Diego Raul Leon and Jose "Bat" Marquez are definitely members, but many of the associates that end up in prison, are usually MADE after arriving to prison. Then they put you in Pelican Bay, and if you are there, or in Corcoran or Tehachapi, then you are most like now validated. Of the three guys convicted, only Ricardo Polanco is in Pelican Bay, so there is a good chance that he was MADE and now calling shots, and was the younger of the trio, so my guess is Polanco, who is now 29, is an Eme.

[ViciousRidah]

This guy is one of the most prominent members of the EME , he was fighting major drug smuggling charges connected to the Arellano-Felix cartel, in some deals he was caught discussing million dollar moves. It is unlikely he was killed as his reputation proceeds him. He was known as a stand up guy. One of the few members in the area. He had outlived most EME members. It is thought he fled the area -after getting information that he was about to be re-arrested on a cold case murder. That murder involved a man in the San Bernadino area from around 1991. Known for his calm demeanor and ability to make things happen at the drop of hat -he could be anywhere.

So he was gunna get murdered for going in a restricted area?

Thats fucking stupid. EME is really losing its "MAFIA" codename from me, its just a bunch of Chicanos with MONEY, not MOBSTERs! There so unorganized but organized its riduclous!

Mafia OCs operate like that,if one of the Italian Five Mafia Families in NYC tried to go out to Kansas City or in Chicago to open shop they needed permission of that cities outfit to operate there or the vetoed by the Commission, if you are not greenlit to operate in an area that was approved, then you are out of line that is punishable by death in some cases, that is just common knowledge about OCs. I think this guy might of been trying to make some money so he can get on the run fast but he made his decisions to quick and recklessly.

[StillNoScript]

Yea the mystic of mafia really is over for them-its virtually impossible to be a known EME member and make money out in the open. They have to do it by proxy through someone else and then it almsot guarantees someone will flip.Look at the amount of wiretaps-extortion charges-cold case murders, federal cases and huge investments by the Feds against the EME. It all started once that movie was made AMERICAN ME. Before that -everyone kinda knew their was an EME but they werent sure-to say NO One had ever really admitted its existence in public. Even after 50+ years of being around. After the movie -they were placed out in the open and everything they do know is wiretapped and watched. Being hidden is what kept them alive and out, their low membership was an advantage -now as soon as someone is labeled mafia affiliated they are done! its just a matter of time. For all its worth that movie was the end of their power. In the 70s about 30 murders were committed by the EME -they were getting out and putting fools down -collect taxes, and committing murders of sntches and rivals. They made millions-when the group was arrested -they didnt even label them Mexican Mafia. The one guy who snitched -was looked at as a looney -no one believed their was an EME. To say the least all teh guys connected to the movie -were murdered. It was the worst thing they ever did -the feds started up a task force to strikely investigate LA EME. Since 1993. All the cases against them started after that. I mean look at the Federal trial in LA in 1995. They dismantled them. Took out 13 actual members discussing deals on tape. They werent but maybe 25 of them in all LA and they got more then half on that one trial. Most of the cases you hear about where they get EME members arent even real EME members just associates. Darryl was the only guy in this case who was a member. In the San Diego Fed trial only 2 out of the 40 people arrested were members. Their numbers are extremely low. At the highest they are thought to have 300 people.

American Me came out in the early '90s, but two other things happened then, too. That's when the taxation began, and that's also when Joe Morgan died.

American Me certainly brought unwanted notoriety to La Eme, and that may have been the true motive behind the murder and murder attempts of the consultants and actors. But a criminal organization holding a huge meeting at Elysian Park (fooled media and regular police patrols, but not gang units, they were all over it, getting photos, video and everything) and declaring a region wide taxation policy doesn't exactly do well for an organization trying to stay private, either. Then there was Morgan's death. Morgan had major Mexican drug connections. The fact that the taxation began right around the time of Morgan's death can not be ignored. Did the EME's Mexican drug connections die with him? Or, did a change of philosophy occur? Did the other members figure that more profits could be made with taxation? Or, was Morgan and perhaps a few others with his seniority taking most of the profits from the Mexican connections and holding out from the younger members? Whatever the case, when Morgan died, the EME's cash operation seemed to have switched from Mexican cartel middle men to black hand extortion. Of course, the racial motives on the street began around this time, too. I don't know. The movie American Me turned out to be a mess amongst the people involved but I have to think Joe Morgan's death was more pivotal to the EME not only bringing more negative attention to itself, but also changing philosophically as well.