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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
May 30, 2008
DRUG TRAFFICKING INDICTMENT UNSEALED
18 of 25 defendants arrested so far on federal drug conspiracy charges
WICHITA, KAN. – Federal, state and local investigators Thursday arrested 18 of 25 people charged in a federal indictment with conspiring to distribute hundreds of pounds of drugs in the Wichita area including marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine smuggled from Mexico.
“We have unsealed a 32-count indictment charging 25 people with being part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that operated from January 2005 through July 1, 2007,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren.
Melgren thanked law enforcement agencies that assisted with the arrests on Thursday including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Wichita Police Department and the Haysville Police Department.
Charged in the indictment are:
Agustin Hernandez, 33, Wichita
Ubaldo Hernandez, 30, Wichita
Jose Juan Hernandez, 39, Wichita
Isidro Hernandez, 26, Wichita
Adrian Gusman, 27, Wichita
Michael Pless, 24, Wichita
Teodoro Adame, 31, Wichita
Jose San Miguel, 35, Wichita
Guadalupe Andrade, 31, Wichita
Ronald Cook, 49, Wichita
Fabian Nunez-Diaz, 20, Wichita
Miguel Lozano-Esparza, 25, Wichita
Raymundo Ibarra, 24, Wichita
Robert D. Saiz, 31, Wichita
Vincente Rodriguez, 28, Wichita
Rogelio Guzman, 64, Wichita
Deandre Gilkey, 33, Wichita
Timothy Dukes, 38, Wichita
Joseph Smith, 30, Wichita
Moses J. Villa
Pascaul Villa, 56, Wichita
Jacob Galaviz, 30, Wichita
Peter Lambert, 40, Wichita
Ryan Lambert, 29, Derby
Johne Ramirez, 27, Wichita
DRUGS SEIZED
According to the indictment, investigators seized significant amounts of drugs including:
Marijuana
– 175.10 kilograms (March 9, 2005, count #4)
– 346.2 kilograms (March 31, 2006, count #5)
– 1 kilogram (April 14, 2006, count #6)
– 1 kilogram (June 8, 2006, count #9)
– 18.18 kilograms (Aug. 16, 2006, counts #12, #13)
– 77.4 kilograms (Sept. 24, 2006, count #15)
– 1 kilogram (Sept. 29, 2006, count #19)
– 30 pounds (Oct. 3, 2006, count #21)
– 331 pounds (April 18, 2007, count #26)
– 1 kilogram, May 24, 2007, count #30)
– 1 kilogram (June 5, 2007, count #31)
Cocaine
– 110.2 grams (April 21, 2006, count #7)
– 249.1 grams (May 26, 2006, count #8)
– 166.4 grams (June 29, 2006, count #10)
– 164 grams (Aug. 11, 2006, count #11)
– 1 kilogram (Sept. 23, 2006, count #14)
– 1/4 kilogram (Sept. 26, 2006, count #18)
– 1 kilogram (Oct. 2, 2006, count #20)
– 1 kilogram (April 24, 2007, count #28)
– 257.3 grams June 14, 2007, count #32)
Methamphetamine
– 253.7 grams (Sept. 24, 2006, counts #16, #17)
– 209.53 grams (Oct. 27, 2006, counts #22, #23)
– 83.63 grams (Nov. 16, 2006, counts #24, #25)
CHARGES AND PENALTIES
Charges include:
– Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 10 years and not more than life and a fine up to $4 million.
– Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 10 years and not more than life and a fine up to $4 million.
– Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years and fine up to $2 million.
– Possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million.
– Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty on conviction of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
– Distributing cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty on conviction of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
– Distributing marijuana, which carries a maximum penalty on conviction of 5 years and a fine up to $250,000.
– Attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million.
– Distributing methamphetamine, which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 10 years and not more than life and a fine up to $4 million.
– Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a penalty which carries a penalty on conviction of not less than 10 years and not more than life and a fine up to $4 million.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
As in any criminal case, a person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments filed merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
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