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Del Records CEO Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Kingpin Act Violations

Del Records founder and CEO José Ángel Del Villar received a 48-month federal prison sentence and a $2 million fine. Del Entertainment was separately sentenced to probation and fined $1.8 million.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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José Ángel Del Villar, founder and CEO of Del Records, was sentenced on August 15, 2025, to 48 months in federal prison for violating the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. He also received three years of supervised release and a $2 million fine. Del Entertainment Inc., the related talent agency he led, was separately sentenced to three years’ probation and a $1.8 million fine.

Who is José Ángel Del Villar?

Del Villar founded Del Records and served as CEO of the record label. He was also CEO of Del Entertainment Inc., its related talent agency. The federal case resulted in separate penalties for Del Villar and the company; the company’s sentence was not part of his personal prison term.

What was Del Villar convicted of?

On March 27, 2025, a federal jury found Del Villar and Del Entertainment guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers and 10 counts of violating the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The Department of Justice described the trial as lasting nine days. The DOJ’s conviction announcement identifies 11 guilty counts in total.

What conduct was at the center of the case?

The case focused on concert promoter Jesús Pérez Alvear, also known as “Chucho,” and his company Gallistica Diamante, also known as Ticket Premier. The Treasury Department designated Pérez and the company under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018. According to the DOJ, Del Villar and Del Entertainment did business with Pérez from April 2018 through March 2019, including arranging performances at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had financial interests. The DOJ’s sentencing account gives one example: after FBI agents warned a musician on April 19, 2018, the musician performed at a Pérez-organized concert in Aguascalientes on April 28, and Del Villar’s credit card paid for the private jet.

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The DOJ says Treasury’s designation followed its conclusion that Pérez facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Los Cuinis. That is the government’s stated basis for the designation, not an independently adjudicated finding about every alleged criminal relationship. In announcing the conviction, Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said the defendants “chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act.” That is an official’s characterization of the case; the jury’s verdict is the finding of guilt.

What is the Kingpin Act?

The Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act is a U.S. sanctions law targeting significant foreign narcotics traffickers and their organizations. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) explains that covered property within U.S. jurisdiction, or controlled by U.S. persons, is blocked, and that certain transactions involving designated parties are prohibited. OFAC’s Kingpin Act overview is explanatory; the statute and regulations govern.

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How long were the sentences?

Defendant Sentence announced August 15, 2025
José Ángel Del Villar 48 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $2 million fine
Del Entertainment Inc. Three years’ probation and a $1.8 million fine

Prosecutors had asked for six and a half years, according to Rolling Stone’s reporting on the sentencing hearing. The DOJ sentencing release also quotes prosecutors’ argument that Del Villar “orchestrated a sophisticated criminal scheme”; that wording is the prosecution’s position, not a separate judicial finding. Rolling Stone reported that the judge set a December 1, 2025 surrender date. That dated report does not establish Del Villar’s current custody status or the final outcome of any appeal.

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What happened to Del Entertainment?

Del Entertainment was convicted alongside Del Villar and received its own corporate sentence: three years’ probation and a $1.8 million fine. The DOJ also said the company was found guilty on the same one conspiracy count and 10 Kingpin Act counts.

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Case timeline

  • April 6, 2018: Treasury designated Pérez and Gallistica Diamante under the Kingpin Act, according to the DOJ.
  • April 19, 2018: FBI agents warned a musician about the designation and prohibited dealings, according to the DOJ.
  • April 28, 2018: The musician performed at a Pérez-organized concert in Aguascalientes; Del Villar’s card paid for the private jet, according to the DOJ.
  • March 27, 2025: The jury returned guilty verdicts against Del Villar and Del Entertainment.
  • August 15, 2025: The court sentenced Del Villar and the company.

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