Admitted Leader of La Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl from his Prison Cell (DOJ)

Yakima, Washington - First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on July 9, 2026, Felipe Feliciano Ramirez (a/k/a "Casper"), age 45, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Stanley Bastain to 120 months of incarceration to be followed by 8 years of supervised release stemming from his conviction for Distribution of Fentanyl while inside the Bureau of Prisons.

Ramirez was convicted in 2014 in the Eastern District of California for his role as a Regimental Commander for La Nuestra Familia ("NF"), a violent prison gang, where he was responsible for the trafficking of a significant amount of methamphetamine and cocaine into the community. He was sentenced to 336 months of imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"). While serving this sentence, Ramirez was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in NF's paramilitary organizational structure. He was ultimately housed at the United States Penitentiary in Florence, Colorado. From there, he continued his drug trafficking activities, which included the distribution of a significant amount of fentanyl via the mail, which he orchestrated from his prison cell.

The Bureau of Prisons' National Gang Unit ("NGU") learned Ramirez was utilizing the recorded BOP phone line and email system to broker drug deals, the proceeds of which he used to pay his mandatory 'contribution' to his NF superiors. Ramirez would source drugs, mostly fentanyl, from NF's Mexican Regiment, and direct their distribution into various communities. Through the NGU's diligence, they uncovered this scheme, broke the code being used, and determined there was a package of fentanyl pills heading to Spokane, Washington. They passed this information to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, who located and seized the package from the commercial carrier preventing their distribution into the community.

During the process of resolving his case, Ramirez admitted he was a leader in this criminal organization and affirmed he was an NF Lieutenant. In imposing sentence, the Court noted Ramirez's 20 plus years of involvement in the criminal justice system and the commission of this serious offense while already serving a significant drug trafficking sentence. The Court declined Ramirez's request to impose his sentence concurrent to his 336 months sentence, noting there is no free crime. Ultimately, the Court decided to impose the 120-month sentence with 80 months running consecutive to his current sentence with the rest to run concurrently. It was also noted Ramirez's initial sentence would be extended by the loss of "good time" credits with this new criminal conduct.

"This prison-based gang is a threat to our communities. From within the prison walls, they are trying to assert their influence, power, and control through the recruitment of our youth forcing themselves into our communities, coordinating, directing and engaging in ongoing criminal conduct," stated First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano. "This admitted Lieutenant is just one example. We are thankful for the hard work of our partners within the BOP and the ATF for targeting this threat and remaining vigilant to continue to hold them accountable for their conduct."

ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais stated, "Mr. Ramirez is a textbook example of recidivism. Not only was he already serving a significant prison sentence for his prior offenses, but he continued to push poison into our neighborhoods from behind bars. Mr. Ramirez and La Nuestra Familia are a plague on our communities, and ATF will continue to bring the full might of the Department of Justice to their doorstep."

"This case demonstrates how the BOP's intelligence capabilities extend far beyond our institution walls," said Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III. "Our NGU worked with law enforcement partners to disrupt a fentanyl trafficking scheme and protect the community from these deadly drugs. This additional sentence sends a clear message that criminal activity will be pursued relentlessly, and those who continue to orchestrate crimes from behind bars will be held fully accountable."

For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington.

4-CR-02027-SAB-3