San Antonio Bandidos Member Pleads Guilty To Murder
SAN ANTONIO - Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle (OMO) member Frederick (aka “Fast Fred”), 48, faces life in federal prison after pleading guilty to murder. The guilty plea was announced jointly by United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin Jr., Western District of Texas; Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit; Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Antonio Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs; Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw; and San Antonio Police Chief William McManus.
Cortez pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Pamela A. Mathy in San Antonio this afternoon to the charge of Murder in Aid of Racketeering. The charge stemmed from the January 2002 retaliation murder of Robert Lara in Atascosa County for killing Javier Negrete, a member of the same Bandidos OMO chapter as Cortez. He was killed outside a San Antonio bar in October 2001.
Cortez remains in custody pending sentencing scheduled for January 23, 2017, before Senior United States District Judge David A. Ezra.
Bandidos OMO National President Jeffrey Pike, 61, of Conroe, TX, and National Vice President John Portillo, 57, of San Antonio, who are also charged in the same indictment, are currently scheduled for trial on August 7, 2017. Portillo remains in federal custody; Pike is free on bond, pending trial.
A superseding indictment accuses Pike and Portillo of directing, sanctioning, approving and permitting other members of the organization to carry out racketeering acts including murder, attempted murder, assault, intimidation, extortion and drug trafficking to protect and enhance the organization’s power, territory, reputation and profits.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, DEA and Texas DPS together with the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New Braunfels Police Department, Seguin Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, Atascosa County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
