SAN ANTONIO – A member of the Bandidos gang on Wednesday pleaded guilty to murder in federal court.
Frederick Cortez, also known as Fast Fred, 48, faces a sentence of life in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in federal court to murder in aid of racketeering in the retaliation murder of Robert Lara in January 2002. Lara killed Javier Negrete, a member of the same Bandidos chapter as Cortez, who was killed outside of a San Antonio bar in October 2001.
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Cortez remains in custody until his sentencing, which is slated for Jan. 23, 2017.
Bandidos national President Jeffrey Pike, 61, and Vice President John Portillo, 57, are charged in the same indictment. Their trial is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2017. Portillo is in federal custody and Pike is out on bond while they await trial.
The indictment accused Pike and Portillo of directing, sanctioning, approving and permitting organization members to carry out racketeering acts, such as murder, attempted murder, assault intimidation extortion and drug trafficking.