Leader of Drug Distribution Organization Sentenced to Ten Years

September 16, 2022

SEATTLE – The drug supplier to multiple members of a drug trafficking group distributing fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Rodrigo Alvarez-Quinonez, 31, of Selma, California, was…

Victoria Resident that Fled Police with Handgun and Kilo of Meth Sent to Prison

September 16, 2022

VICTORIA, Texas – A 32-year-old Victoria man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute approximately one kilogram of meth, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Daniel…

21 Indicted In Lawrence and Southbridge Area Cocaine and Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracies

September 16, 2022

BOSTON – Twenty-one individuals have been indicted in federal court in Boston in connection with their alleged roles in drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts. The following defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the…

Colchester Man Indicted for Federal Drug Offense

September 16, 2022

COLCHESTER, Vt. – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on September 8, 2022, the Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Dominique Troupe (also known as “Wop” and “Juice”), 35, of Colchester with one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base…

Colombian Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Obstruction of Justice

September 16, 2022

BOSTON – A Colombian man, who was extradited from Colombia after indictment, has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for his role in three charges related to obstructing justice. Orlando Lopez Parra, 48, was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 12…

Dominican National Sentenced to 38 Months in Prison for Selling Oxycodone from New Britain Grocery Store

September 16, 2022

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Jose Lugo, also known as “Domi,” 34, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 38 months of imprisonment, followed by…

Leader of Lawrence Area Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy and Firearm Charges

September 16, 2022

BOSTON – The leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, carfentanil and fentanyl analogue in and around the Lawrence area, as well as to possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offense…

Boston Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

September 16, 2022

BOSTON – A drug distributor within a Boston-area drug trafficking organization (DTO) has pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine). Terrence Daye, 33, of Boston, pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2022 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to…

Former Head of Gulf Cartel Receives Life Sentence for Importing Kilos of Drugs

September 15, 2022

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 51-year-old Mexican national who was head of Cartel del Golfo (CDG) from 2003 to 2012 has been ordered to prison and to pay millions for his role in conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana from Mexico into the United States, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special…

25 Charged in Drug Bust Targeting Recording Studio

September 14, 2022

DALLAS, TX – Twenty-five alleged drug traffickers have been charged in “Operation Papercheck Fresh,” announced DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. During a large-scale operation last Thursday – which involved eight law enforcement agencies targeting nine locations, including a recording studio in Dallas’ Bryan Place neighborhood –…

Physician Sentenced after Taking Bribes from Drug Manufacturer

September 13, 2022

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Nixa, Mo., physician was sentenced in federal court today after taking bribes from a drug manufacturer in exchange for prescribing its fentanyl drug to his patients so often that he ranked highest in the state in net sales of the product. Randall Halley, 65, was sentenced…

Former Dentist Charged Federally with Illegally Distributing Prescription Opiates

September 13, 2022

SEATTLE – A former dentist who practiced in Renton until his license was indefinitely suspended by the Washington State Dental Commission, was indicted federally for four counts of distributing a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Luke Edward St. Marie, 34, appeared in federal court today and entered pleas…

Minnesota Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused 11 Overdose Deaths

September 12, 2022

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Aaron Broussard of Hopkins, Minnesota, has been sentenced to life in prison for distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people and caused serious bodily injury to four people. “Let today’s sentencing serve as a wakeup call to the drug traffickers…

Yakima Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

September 12, 2022

SPOKANE, Wash. – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Michael Ryan Shoemaker, 35, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced in federal court in Yakima for Distribution of Fifty Grams or More of Pure (Actual) Methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Stanley…

Bathroom Shower No Place to Hide for Meth Trafficker Who Pleads Guilty

September 12, 2022

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City man was sentenced in federal court today for drug trafficking and illegally possessing a firearm. Mark Allan Moots, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 10 years in federal prison without parole. On April 19, 2022, Moots pleaded guilty…

California Man Sentenced for ‘Extraordinary Quantity’ of Meth

September 12, 2022

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A California man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting what court documents describe as “an extraordinary quantity of methamphetamine” in a borrowed car as he traveled from California through Missouri. Johnny Jordan Thompson, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to…

Woman Sentenced for Selling Prescription Drugs

September 09, 2022

ST. LOUIS — U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a woman from St. Charles, who fraudulently obtained prescription drugs for herself and her children and then sold them to others, including an undercover agent, to two years of probation, including four months of home detention, and 20…

Three Defendants Sentenced for $2.1 Million Meth Conspiracy

September 09, 2022

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Mexican nationals and a St. Joseph, Mo., man were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a $2.1 million conspiracy that distributed more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Kansas City metropolitan area and in northwest Missouri. Juan Guzman, also known as…

DEA Dedicates September 11th Memorial

September 09, 2022

WASHINGTON – On Friday, September 9, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration dedicated a memorial at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia to DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force Officers who have lost their lives from illness or disease caused by their work at Ground Zero after the terrorist attacks of…

Cuban national sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking, firearms offenses

September 08, 2022

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Ali Godoy, 51, a national of Cuba, was sentenced on Sept. 7 to 10 years in prison. Godoy pleaded guilty on May 24 to one count each of possession with intent to distribute…

Thirteen Defendants Charged in Imperial Valley Takedown of Drug Trafficking Network

September 08, 2022

SAN DIEGO – An indictment was unsealed in federal court today charging 10 alleged members of an Imperial Valley-based methamphetamine distribution network with drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. In addition, three more related defendants were charged today via complaint with drug trafficking offenses. In a coordinated multi-state takedown that…

Wasilla Drug Dealer Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison

September 08, 2022

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla, Alaska, man was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison followed by eight years of supervised release for possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sedric Williams, 43, led the Alaska State Troopers on a…

Meth Dealer with Felony Record Sentenced to 20 Years

September 08, 2022

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – David A. Rodgers, 41, of Sikeston, Missouri, was sentenced to serve 20 years in federal prison for firearm and methamphetamine-trafficking offenses. After receiving information that Rodgers was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine, law enforcement officials obtained and executed a search warrant at his Sikeston home in…

Pill Mill Operator Convicted for Oxycodone Diversion

September 08, 2022

NEW YORK – Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that a jury returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Purificacion Cristobal for her participation in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone without a legitimate medical purpose acting outside the usual course of professional practice…

Rhode Island Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine

September 08, 2022

BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl and cocaine. Armando Gomes, 34, of Central Falls, Rhode Island, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to two years in…

California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Meth into Southern Oregon

September 08, 2022

MEDFORD, Ore.—On September 7, 2022, a San Diego, California man was sentenced to federal prison for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from Southern California to Southern Oregon for redistribution and sale. Martin Jesus Velasco, 39, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. According…

Hartford Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

September 08, 2022

HARTFORD, Conn. – Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned a seven-count indictment charging JAHQUAN BLACKWIN, also known as…

Lawrence Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Reentry into the U.S.

September 08, 2022

BOSTON – A Dominican man residing in Lawrence has been sentenced for fentanyl trafficking and illegal reentry into the United States after being deported. Jefri Paulino, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV on Aug. 31, 2022 to 10 years in prison and five…

Boston Man Pleads Guilt to Drug Trafficking Following Two-Kilogram Cocaine Deal

September 08, 2022

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with selling two kilograms of cocaine and possessing nearly one kilogram of heroin and a high-powered rifle in East Boston. Carlos Acosta Estrella, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of…

Osteopathic Physician Sentenced for Illegally Prescribing Drug

September 07, 2022

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Wednesday sentenced an osteopathic physician from Collinsville, Illinois, to a year in prison for illegally prescribing an anti-anxiety drug. Matthew Steven Miller, 43, wrote prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax for six people who were not his patients between 2016…

Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth Trafficking

September 07, 2022

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A member of a violent white supremacist street gang has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine. Donnie Lee Curtis Jr., 37, of Tunnel Hill, Ga., was sentenced to 144 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to…

Selling Synthetic Drugs Results in $9.2M Forfeiture and Prison for Seven

September 07, 2022

HOUSTON – The seventh and final member involved in a synthetic narcotics distribution network has been ordered to federal prison, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division Daniel C. Comeaux and U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. Frank Gonzalez, 61, Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty Aug…

Former LAX TSA Officer Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Charges

September 06, 2022

LOS ANGELES – A federal judge last week sentenced a former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Officer to 2 years and 3 months in federal prison for participating in a narcotics-trafficking conspiracy. United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt on Thursday, September 1st sentenced ex-TSA Officer Ronald McCrea, 32, who pleaded…

Buffalo Man Going to Prison for Selling Butryl Fentanyl that Caused the Deaths of Two People

September 06, 2022

BUFFALO, NEW YORK – Nino Buggs, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, butyryl fentanyl and U-47700, was sentenced to serve 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan T. Cullinane, who handled the case, stated that…

Oakland Money Service Business Owner and Employees Charged with Laundering Drug Proceeds

September 02, 2022

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Office of the United States Attorney filed federal criminal complaints charging money service business employees Griselda Cancelada Liceaga, Veronica Mora, and Yoselin Perez Ramirez with conspiracy to commit money laundering and identity theft in connection with a scheme to facilitate wire transfers for drug traffickers sending…

Perry Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

September 02, 2022

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Stephen Lance Gamble, 46, of Perry, Florida, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, on August 31, 2022, after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine or 500 grams or more…

Mexican National Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years for Trafficking Dozens of Kilograms of Methamphetamine and Possessing a Shotgun and Three Handguns

September 02, 2022

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Evaristo Marin-Dominguez (34, Michoacan, Mexico) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Marin-Dominguez had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022. According…

Plant City Man Pleads Guilty to Mexican Methamphetamine Drug Conspiracy

September 02, 2022

TAMPA, Fla. – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ubertino Zavala-Perez (58, Plant City) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Zavala-Perez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the plea agreement, Zavala-Perez conspired with…

Lake City Man Sentenced to Five Years for Illegally Possessing Firearms and Distributing Crack Cocaine

September 02, 2022

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Edrick D. Jackson (28, Lake City) to five years in federal prison for distributing cocaine base (“crack” cocaine) and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Jackson to forfeit the ammunition and firearms involved…

DEA Warns of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl Used to Target Young Americans

September 01, 2022

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Drug Enforcement Administration is advising the public of an alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl available across the United States. In August 2022, DEA and our law enforcement partners seized brightly-colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills in 18 states. Dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” in the media, this trend…

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