Gang member convicted of racketeering, conspiracy charges

Ernesto Palacios, 31, also known as Homie, was found guilty of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and murder resulting from use of a gun during a crime of violence, according to the release.

Prosecutors said Palacious was a member of a Langley Park chapter of MS-13 and in 2004 attended meetings to plan the killing of a woman who had been associating with a rival gang. The woman, Nancy Diaz, was slain in Adelphi Oct. 25, 2004.

Palacios faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 10 and remains in federal custody.

Also involved in the case was Hyattsville resident James Guillen, 22, also known as Toro, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in racketeering enterprise activities and was sentenced on Jan. 11, 2008, to 262 months in prison, according to the release.

Silver Spring man sentenced

for bribery scheme

A Silver Spring resident and a former employee of the General Services Administration were sentenced last week for their involvement in a scheme that awarded federal government contracts to a Silver Spring-based company in exchange for bribes.

Michael B. Holiday, 51, of Silver Spring was sentenced to four years in prison for bribery and tax evasion in connection with the scheme and was ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Dessie Ruth Nelson, 65, of Oakland, Calif., was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the release

In what U.S. attorney Rod Rosenstein called the largest corruption case ever prosecuted in Maryland, Holiday, the CEO of Silver Spring-based securities firm Holiday International Security Inc. and a former Montgomery County police officer, pled guilty to giving Nelson cash, vacations and other benefits worth more than $100,000 in exchange for awarding three federal contracts worth more than $130 million to Holiday International Security Inc., now called USProtect Corporation.

Nelson had been responsible for contracting security for GSA-managed buildings.

Nelson pled guilty to accepting more than $100,000 in bribes and evading income taxes on the bribe payments she received in return, the release said.

A judge also ordered Nelson to forfeit $138,500 and pay $38,780 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.