Three Las Vegas Street Gang Members Sentenced To Prison For Distributing Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl

LAS VEGAS – Three members of the Las Vegas based street gang Money Makin’ Moves have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, and other related drug and gun offenses.

According to court documents, Giovani Barboza (21), Jordan Villalobos (24), and Francisco Ramirez-Sorto (21), all of Las Vegas, conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. On September 15, 2021, Barboza and Villalobos sold approximately 3,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl; and on September 29, 2021, Barboza and Villalobos sold 2,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Ramirez-Sorto sold counterfeit pills containing fentanyl to customers he was directed to by Barboza and Villalobos.

On October 15, 2021, during the execution of a search warrant at the residence shared by Barboza, Villalobos, and Ramirez-Sorto, law enforcement seized nine firearms, over 200 rounds of various ammunition, clear plastic bags containing various counterfeit pills, and thousands of pills containing fentanyl. One of the firearms was modified with a machine gun conversion device.

Barboza, Villalobos, and Ramirez-Sorto each pleaded guilty in March 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance-Fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Barboza and Villalobos were each sentenced to 10 years in prison on August 28, 2023. Ramirez-Sorto was sentenced to 60 months in prison on August 14, 2023.

United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the Drug Enforcement Administration, Las Vegas Division Office (DEA), and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

This case was investigated by DEA and ATF. Assistant United States Attorney Melanee Smith prosecuted the case.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

DEA has launched the public awareness campaign, One Pill Can Kill, to educate the public on dangers of counterfeit pills and how to keep Americans safe. For more information, visit www.dea.gov/onepill.

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