José Ángel Del Villar, CEO of Del Records and Del Entertainment Inc., has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong also fined Del Villar $2 million. In addition, the company Del Entertainment was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $1.8 million fine.
A federal jury convicted both Del Villar and his company on one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act after a nine-day trial in March. The charges stem from business dealings with Jesús Pérez Alvear, known as “Chucho,” a concert promoter from Guadalajara who ran Gallistica Diamante, also known as Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment until March 2019.
The U.S. Treasury Department designated Pérez and his company as specially designated narcotics traffickers under the Kingpin Act in April 2018, following findings that he facilitated money laundering activities for criminal groups such as the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The law prohibits U.S. individuals and companies from conducting business with those on this list.
Despite being aware that transactions with Pérez were illegal, Del Villar and his company continued their relationship by arranging performances involving artists at concerts where both parties had financial interests. According to court documents, FBI agents warned a well-known musician about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act prior to an April 2018 performance organized by Pérez in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Evidence showed that Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet transporting the artist to the event.
The pattern continued through multiple performances across Mexico during 2018 and 2019, including cities like Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato.
“Far from being an unwitting participant in a ‘gotcha’ crime, [Del Villar] orchestrated a sophisticated criminal scheme sustained over a lengthy period of time and involving myriad unlawful transactions,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum.
Other defendants include Luca Scalisi of West Hollywood, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy related to transactions with specially designated narcotics traffickers; his sentencing is set for October. Pérez previously pleaded guilty but was killed in Mexico in December last year.
Last week, another recording artist connected with Del Villar’s businesses—Ricardo Hernández Medrano (“El Makabelico” or “Comando Exclusivo”)—was added by the Treasury Department as a specially designated narcotics trafficker due to alleged use of music proceeds for money laundering tied to organized crime groups formerly associated with Los Zetas.
This case involved investigation by both FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation units, along with assistance from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding (Transnational Organized Crime Section) and Alexander B. Schwab (Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division).
The prosecution forms part of Operation Take Back America—a Justice Department initiative aimed at targeting transnational criminal organizations using resources from programs such as OCDETF (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces). More details about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
