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Man sentenced in 2002 drive-by shooting that killed rival gang member, officials say

Julio Ramos, who goes by Sleepy, was accused in the shooting death of Aldo Vallejo.
Julio Ramos

ATLANTA -- Sixteen years after a man is gunned down in a drive-by shooting, the suspect is sentenced to federal prison.

Julio Ramos, who goes by Sleepy, was accused in the shooting death of Aldo Vallejo.

According to authorities, the two were rival gang members. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia said Ramos became a member of Brownside Locos in 2001.

Vallejo was killed on October 27, 2002.

“The Brownside Locos were a street gang whose members engaged in drug trafficking and numerous acts of violence, including at least five murders of rival gang members between 1998 and 2002,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “After many years as a fugitive, Ramos will now serve a lengthy federal prison sentence for his involvement in Vallejo’s death.”

Authorities said Ramos and others were in a van when they spotted Vallejo driving in the parking lot at Plaza Fiesta on Buford Highway in Atlanta. Vallejo and the passengers in his car were members of the 18th Street gang, officials said.

Authorities accused Ramos and the others in the vehicle with him of following Vallejo’s car out of the parking lot. When Vallejo realized that his car was being followed, officials said he tried to get away.

The two vehicles ended up on an access road leading off Interstate 85 North at Sugarloaf Parkway in Gwinnett County when an exchange of gunfire erupted. Vallejo wrecked his car. The 20-year-old died two days later.

A judge sentenced Ramos to six years and six months in federal prison. It's to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ramos, a citizen of Mexico, will be deported upon completion of his prison sentence.

“This case is an example of the lengths the FBI will go to, to bring violent offenders like Ramos to justice,” said J.C. “Chris” Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta Division. “The violence and indiscriminate exchange of gunfire that took place on our public streets 16-years ago cannot go unpunished and hopefully his sentence will send a message that we will go to any lengths to make sure it doesn’t.”

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