Del Records’ CEO Ángel Del Villar Found Guilty of Business Ties With Mexican Cartel
Photo via DEL Records Youtube.
After being arrested by FBI agents in 2022, Del Records’ CEO Ángel Del Villar was found guilty of violating the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act today (Mar. 27). The trial took place at the federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, CA.
On June 14, 2022, Del Villar and DEL Entertainment’s CFO Luca Scalisi were charged with “conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act,” as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This was due to their alleged business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter connected to Mexican drug cartels. Mexican media outlets indicated the linkage was to the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) and Los Cuinis.
The Mexican music promoter in question was the now late Jesus Perez Alvear of Gallistica Diamente, aka Ticket Premier, who previously promoted DEL Entertainment in Mexico until 2019. According to the same report, Perez and Gallistica Diamente were at the time actively listed as “Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers” under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, which specifically prohibits people from the U.S. from working with them.
The complaint report cited that FBI agents told a “well-known musician” that Perez was under the Kingpin Act and that it “prohibited him from conducting business with Perez and performing concerts that Perez promoted” on April 19, 2018. The artist performed at a concert organized by Perez on April 28, 2018, despite the complaint.
The “well-known musician” was Gerardo Ortiz, who testified against Del Villar last week (Mar. 18). He said he performed at the April 2018 festival organized by Perez after being warned by the FBI to stop performing at events organized by the latter. Although it’s unclear what Ortiz will be charged with in a separate case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Schwab said that the Mexican singer would be “cooperating with [investigators] in this case, and he hopes that his cooperation will be taken into account at the time that he’s sentenced,” per Rolling Stone.
During the trial, Del Villar’s defense lawyer alleged that the company’s vice president, Brian Gutierrez, was the one to blame. According to the aforementioned source, the defense lawyer said that Gutierrez “convinced” Del Villar that “everything” the company was doing was legal.
Today (Mar. 27), the Department of Justice found Del Villar guilty of doing business with a concert promoter with ties to the Mexican cartels. Billboard reports Del Villar was found guilty of a total of 10 violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and one conspiracy charge. Per Univision, Del Villar will remain free until his sentencing day, Aug. 15.
“I prefer a thousand times to be behind bars, or whatever, than to be or to sign a paper as an informant,” Del Villar told media outlets yesterday (Mar. 26).
He could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. According to Billboard, Scalisi will face a separate jury trial in July.