A Latin music executive, Ángel del Villar, accused of conducting business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels, is requesting a federal judge dismiss the charges. Del Villar argues that the indictment is overly vague and anticipates a potential “sucker punch” by prosecutors.
Angel Del Villar, CEO of Los Angeles-based Del Records, was charged in 2022 with violating federal law by engaging in business with known drug traffickers. Prosecutors allege he repeatedly organized concerts with a Guadalajara-based promoter connected to Mexican cartels.
Billboard reports that in a motion filed Thursday, Del Villar’s attorneys contend that the indictment fails to specify which parts of the federal law he allegedly violated, making it difficult for him to prepare a defense.
“The purpose of an indictment is to protect individuals from government ambush,” writes Del Villar’s attorney. “A person whose liberty is at stake is entitled to know with certainty what offenses they are alleged to have committed [and] against what theories they must be prepared to contend.”
“The indictment here thwarts those goals,” Del Villar’s lawyers argue. “Neither Del Villar nor his co-defendants, upon reading it, can be sure from which direction the government’s attack will come — a sure setup for a sucker punch.”
Del Villar is represented by Drew Findling, a well-known criminal defense attorney for music industry figures. Findling has previously represented Gucci Mane, YFN Lucci, and members of Migos in criminal cases. Last year, he successfully defended Cardi B over a microphone-throwing incident in Las Vegas.
Founded by Del Villar in 2008, Del Records has become a leading record company for Regional Mexican music. The label is home to música mexicana supergroup Eslabon Armado, whose global hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma was one of the biggest songs of 2023, as well as Lenin Ramirez and other chart-topping artists.
In June 2022, Del Villar, 41, chief financial officer Luca Scalisi, 56, and Del Records were charged with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Passed in 1999, the law allows the U.S. to impose sanctions on foreign individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and prohibits U.S. residents from doing business with them.
Prosecutors claim Del Villar repeatedly collaborated with Jesus Perez Alvear, a Mexican concert promoter who runs Gallistica Diamente (Ticket Premier). The U.S. Treasury Department added Perez to the sanctions list in 2018, alleging he and Gallistica helped cartels launder drug proceeds and glorify their criminal activities.
Prosecutors allege Del Villar and Scalisi used Perez to arrange four Mexican concerts for a Del Records artist and accepted nearly $200,000 in payments, fully aware that Perez had been sanctioned. Charging documents include a never-sent Del Records press release acknowledging Perez’s status and private messages indicating Scalisi knew Perez was “under homeland security watch” and Del Villar was directly informed that Perez was “a sanctioned US person.”
Two and a half years later, after multiple delays, Del Villar and Scalisi are seeking to dismiss the charges.
In Thursday’s filing, Del Villar’s attorneys argue that the indictment does not clearly specify which aspect of the Kingpin Act he allegedly violated. Is it a provision banning transactions related to a significant drug trafficker or one prohibiting transactions designed to evade the law? Findling says prosecutors “do not specify.”
“It would be one thing had the indictment plainly set out the precise elements of [those separate provisions],” Del Villar’s attorney writes. “It would even be acceptable had the indictment set out facts that would make clear which provision was at issue. But it does neither.”
A response from prosecutors is due next month. If the case is not dismissed, a trial is tentatively scheduled for October.
According to the complaint, FBI agents warned a well-known musician, referred to as Individual A, in April 2018 about Perez’s designation under the Kingpin Act. Despite this warning, Individual A performed at multiple concerts organized by Perez, with the knowledge and direction of Del Villar and Scalisi. The complaint details that Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet to transport Individual A to a concert in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Further allegations indicate that Individual A performed at four additional concerts in Mexicali, Salamanca, Chiapas, and San Jose Iturbide, Mexico, all promoted by Perez. Del Villar and Scalisi are accused of facilitating and knowingly engaging in these activities despite being aware of Perez’s designation.
Del Villar and Scalisi’s attorneys argue that the indictment is overly vague and fails to specify which parts of the Kingpin Act were allegedly violated, making it challenging for them to prepare an effective defense. They assert that the indictment sets up the defendants for an unfair “sucker punch” by prosecutors.
“The indictment here thwarts those goals,” Del Villar’s lawyers say. “Neither Del Villar nor his codefendants, upon reading it, can be sure from which direction the government’s attack will come — a sure setup for a sucker punch.”
Del Villar is represented by Drew Findling, a prominent criminal defense attorney known for defending high-profile music industry figures, including Gucci Mane, YFN Lucci, and members of Migos. Last year, he successfully defended Cardi B in a legal case involving a microphone-throwing incident in Las Vegas.
Founded by Del Villar in 2008, Del Records has become a leading record company in Regional Mexican music, featuring artists like Peso Pluma, Eslabon Armado and Lenin Ramirez. Despite the company’s success, the recent charges cast a shadow over its operations.
The ongoing investigation involves the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and significant assistance from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. The case is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benedetto Balding of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section. It is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which aims to dismantle high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.
If convicted, Del Villar and Scalisi could face up to 30 years in federal prison, while Perez could face up to 10 years. Perez’s current whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be in Mexico. The FBI encourages anyone with information on Perez’s location to contact their Los Angeles Field Office.
