Edward M. Yarbrough
United States Attorney
Heather Childs
Assistant U.S. Attorney
CROSSVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO LEADING A LARGE SCALE COCAINE AND MARIJUANA CONSPIRACY
Nashville, TN., April 24, 2008 - Edward M. Yarbrough, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced that Rogaciano Juarez-Rosas of Crossville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, in violation of federal law.
According to facts introduced at the plea hearing, the investigation leading to the arrest of Juarez-Rosas began in February 2007, when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement agents in the Crossville, Tennessee, area began investigating Enrique Hernandez, a resident of Harriman, Tennessee. An undercover agent with TBI purchased narcotics from Enrique Hernandez on several occasions. Enrique Hernandez, in turn, introduced the undercover agent to Rogaciano Juarez-Rosas, who sold cocaine to the undercover agent on several occasions.
This investigation of Juarez-Rosas lead to a court-authorized wiretap of his cellular phone. Interceptions obtained over the wiretap revealed that Juarez-Rosas was the head of a 16-person conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana in and around the Crossville, Tennessee area. Juarez-Rosas organized trips to Atlanta to obtain multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine and marijuana, then drove the narcotics back to Tennessee. He would sell these narcotics in bulk to certain distributors, who would then sell the narcotics in smaller quantities on the street and out of their homes in and around Crossville, Tennessee.
On July 12, 2007, a federal grand jury charged Juarez-Rosas, as well as fifteen others, including Enrique Hernandez, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana. At this time, fifteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty to narcotics charges.
As part of the plea agreement, Juarez-Rosas admitted that, during the conspiracy, he distributed 9.5 kilograms of cocaine and 100 pounds of marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18, 2008 before U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Crossville Police Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, the 13th Judicial Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal's Service.
“I congratulate the tremendous efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who worked together to dismantle this large-scale drug trafficking organization,” praised United States Attorney Edward Yarbrough. “This is a fine example of cooperation among the federal, state, and local levels to maintain safe communities, and I commend their efforts.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul M. O’Brien. Lori Glenn, and Heather G. Childs represented the United States.