Christian Maire was murdered
Alex Albert Castro, a convicted drug trafficker, was sentenced Friday to 24 years in prison for the 2019 murder of a fellow inmate at the Federal Correctional Facility in Milan, outside of Ann Arbor.
Castro murdered Christian Maire, who authorities said masterminded an international child porn production ring. Maire had been serving a 40-year sentence.
Friday's 24-year sentence will be in addition to Castro's 42-years he's already serving for a drug trafficking conspiracy.
Castro, 42, is formerly of Fontana, Calif.
Authorities alleged that on Jan. 2, 2019, Castro and co-defendants Jason Dale Kechego, 41, and Adam Taylor Wright, 42, killed Maire.
Castro stabbed Maire with a shank 28 times in the head, neck, and back and Kechego and Wright repeatedly kicked and stomped him in the head. Wright also prevented corrections officers from intervening in the attack, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Afterward, authorities allege that Castro, with the help of Kechego and Wright, threw Maire’s body head-first down a flight of stairs.
Castro and his co-defendants also assaulted and seriously injured two other Milan inmates "during their rampage," authorities said.
Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February 2022 and was sentenced to more than 24 years in prison. Kechego was convicted and sentenced to 28 years.
“This sentence sends a message that assaults and murders in our prisons will not be tolerated.
We will not turn a blind eye to violence committed by inmates and we will ensure that those who
put the safety and security of other inmates and prison staff at risk will face substantial additional
punishment.” said U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison in a statement.
