U.S. District Judge Leonard D. Wexler imposed the sentence at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, N.Y.
Henriquez and other Long Island MS-13 members decided to kill Melendez because they believed that she was not abiding by the gang's rules. Henriquez lured Melendez to a wooded area in Old Westbury where he shot her once in the back of the head. On April 12, Judge Wexler sentenced MS-13 member Jose Recinos, also known as "Psycho" and "Little Psycho," to 20 years' imprisonment for aiding and abetting Henriquez in the murder.
MS-13 is the largest street gang on Long Island. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York has obtained convictions against more than 120 MS-13 members, including 10 clique leaders, for felony offenses, including racketeering, murder, assault, firearm possession, and narcotics trafficking.