By Associated Press - Saturday, February 8, 2014

CHICAGO (AP) - Two brothers have been sentenced to life in federal prison for murder in aid of racketeering and other crimes.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago says Julio and Manuel Leija-Sanchez (LAY’-hah-SAN’-chez) were sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court.

The pair was convicted after a seven-week trial for ordering a murder in Mexico City to defend a counterfeit identification document business that operated in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood for at least 15 years.



They were convicted together with Gerardo (her-RAHR’-doh) Salazar-Rodriguez. Evidence showed the brothers ordered Salazar-Rodriguez to murder a possible competitor to protect their business which had annual revenues of at least $3 million.

Salazar-Rodriguez also faces life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 14.

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