Manchester Trinitarios Chapter Leader Pleads Guilty to Racketeering in Two Murders
Johan Rodriguez pleaded guilty in Boston federal court on June 1 2026 to racketeering conspiracy that included participation in two murders and two attempted murders. The conviction removes a documented leader from the Manchester chapter of the violent street gang and triggers mandatory sentencing proceedings under federal racketeering statutes.
indianexpress.comBOSTON — Johan Rodriguez, leader of the Manchester chapter of the Trinitarios, pleaded guilty Monday to racketeering conspiracy charges that encompass his direct participation in two murders and two attempted murders.
The plea covers a racketeering conspiracy that operated through the Manchester chapter of the Trinitarios, a Dominican-origin street gang active in New England. Rodriguez admitted to orchestrating and participating in the killings and attempted killings as part of the enterprise’s pattern of illegal activity, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
The guilty plea changes Rodriguez’s legal status from defendant to convicted felon on the racketeering count. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled; federal racketeering convictions in murder-related cases carry potential life imprisonment. The plea agreement resolves the charges against Rodriguez in this matter and requires his cooperation in ongoing investigations.
Downstream, the conviction allows federal prosecutors to seek forfeiture of any assets tied to the racketeering enterprise and removes Rodriguez from street-level command of the Manchester chapter. It also supplies the government with an admitted insider account that can be used to pursue remaining Trinitarios members tied to the same murders and attempted murders.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office can now move forward with related prosecutions without retrying the underlying facts Rodriguez has admitted.
This case forms part of a sustained federal effort against the Trinitarios in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The Department of Justice has previously secured convictions against other chapter members for violent crimes committed under the gang’s banner.
The racketeering statute used here, 18 U.S.C. § 1962, has been the primary vehicle for dismantling structured gang leadership in the region since at least 2018.
Primary sources: U.S. Department of Justice
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