Recent Posts in Drug Trafficking Category

A man identified as a drug kingpin and a key defendant in a federal gang sweep was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for overseeing the racketeering and drug activities of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens street gang. George Manuel Flores was arrested in 2009 as part of Operation Knockout, one of the nation's largest gang sweeps. He was labeled a leader in the Hawaiian Gardens gangs and was accused of ordering gang members to collect taxes from drug dealers in this Los Angeles county city. He pleaded guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy, being a felon in possession of ammunition and other drug charges. Flores was sentenced by a United States District Judge, who is presiding over the 57-defendant racketeering indictment. Prosecutors portrayed Flores as a drug lord.

As part of his guilty plea, he admitted to distributing mass quantities of drugs, including more than 30 kilograms of heroin, more than 4.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, more than 1.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, more than 15 kilograms of narcotics that contained methamphetamine, and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

The investigation began after Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Ortiz was murdered in 2005 by a gang member he was attempting to arrest. In 2009, about 170 gang members were taken into custody in the massive operation. Flores is the last defendant to be sentenced in this federal prosecution. Marcos Romero was sentenced last November to 291 months in federal prison for being a primary wholesaler of narcotics. Brian Viramontes was sentenced in September to 210 months in federal prison for distributing narcotics. This case also revealed a link between the Nazi Low Riders and the gang. Frank Wayne Henley, a member of the Nazi Low Riders gang, was sentenced last November to 262 months in federal prison for supplying members of the Hawaiian Gardens gang with methamphetamine and heroin.

Federal crimes can be labeled as such by falling under federal legislation of Title 18 of the United States Code. A federal crime is defined as a crime that is either made illegal by falling under this legislation, or because of occurring on federal property. Federal crimes are normally investigated by the FBI and are tried in the Federal Court system. Federal courts have their own governing rules and regulations which are different from California State laws. If you are facing federal criminal charges, you will need to discuss your case with a federal criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, we have qualified Los Angeles federal criminal defense attorneys to represent you.

Federal criminal defense attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are uniquely qualified to represent you in court. They have represented defendants in virtually every major organized crime case prosecuted in Southern California. In 1980, Marks & Brooklier was lead counsel in the "Los Angeles Mafia" case in a major RICO conspiracy case. Conact our office anytime, 24/7, for a free case evaluation. All consultations are strictly confidential.

In Fresno, California, a United States Attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge, and Fresno County Sheriff announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging Bounepheng Savongsy, Phousangkhy Phanthadeth, Manop Souksavath, all of Fresno; Ernson Merisier, of Holbrook, Mass.; Marquis Allen Meca,  of New Bedford, Mass.; and Ruddys A. Pimentel, 28, of Roslindale, Mass.; with conspiring to manufacture, to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

According to criminal complaints filed in the case, the defendants were involved in the interstate shipment and distribution of marijuana that was being grown in Fresno, under the guise of being “medicinal.” The marijuana was grown in agricultural fields in Fresno County that were posted with medicinal marijuana recommendations from medical doctors. Rather than being distributed in California for medicinal purposes, however, the defendants are charged with conspiring to make multiple shipments of large quantities of the marijuana to areas in and around Boston, where the drug was sold for about $3,000 per pound, about three times what it sells for in California.

The criminal complaints indicate that Savongsy is a grower and source of marijuana supply for the out-of-state drug traffickers. His nephew, Phanthadeth, is an interstate transporter who cultivated purportedly medicinal marijuana at the same location in southwest Fresno as his uncle and owns two properties in Fresno where marijuana was grown and processed. Souksavath is an interstate transporter, who has shipped multiple loads to the East Coast, two of which he transported with Phanthadeth. Merisier (a convicted drug felon), Meca, and Pimentel, are marijuana distributors in the Boston area. Phanthadeth and Souksavath were arrested in Utah in the course of transporting marijuana on November 4, 2010, following a traffic stop of their vehicle, which contained about 184 pounds of marijuana. The marijuana was then delivered to Merisier, Meca, and Pimentel in Roslindale, Mass., who agreed to purchase the load for about $570,400. Searches executed in the course of the investigation at locations in Fresno, Cedar City, Utah, and Roslindale, Mass. yielded 11 firearms, approximately 4,620 live marijuana plants, approximately 3,563 pounds of processed marijuana, approximately $115,000 in cash, and jewelry valued at about $9,000.

United States Attorney said: “As this case indicates, armed criminals who engage in the interstate trafficking of marijuana cannot hide their operations behind the label of ‘medicinal’ marijuana. We will continue to root out and prosecute drug traffickers who seek to use California’s medicinal marijuana law to cloak their illegal activity.”

This case is the product of a four-month investigation by the DEA offices in Fresno, Salt Lake City, and Boston, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Justice Central Valley Marijuana Investigation Team, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, Boston Police Department, and North Attleboro Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in St. George, Utah and Boston assisted in the arrests of the defendants and initial court proceedings.

With the exception of Savongsy, the defendants are in federal custody and detained without bail. An arrest warrant has issued for Savongsy, who is at large. In connection with the execution of one of six federal search warrants obtained in this case, agents also arrested Douangchanh Keovilayvanh, of Sanger, California, who was charged via a federal criminal complaint with possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

If convicted of the drug offenses, the defendants, with the exception of Merisier, face a penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $4 million fine. Based on his prior felony drug conviction, Merisier faces a penalty of 20 years to life in prison and an $8 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Criminal defense attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on marijuana drug trafficking matters for over four decades. We are well aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such charges and have successfully handled numerous cases for our clients. When faced with marijuana drug trafficking charges you need experienced Los Angeles marijuana drug trafficking criminal defense attorneys with extensive experience in representing clients for drug crimes. Such charges could include offenses for drug possession, drug trafficking and other drug related charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.

A United States Attorney in San Diego, California announced that Augustin Jaime Lopez-Ceballos was sentenced to serve 181 months in prison after his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. United States District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller, who imposed the sentence, previously ordered Lopez-Ceballos to forfeit his interests in ten firearms, including handguns, shotguns, and rifles, and ammunition that were seized in connection with the offense.

The sentence imposed on Lopez-Ceballos resulted from an investigation begun in 2008 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the East County Regional Gang Task Force. The investigation identified Lopez-Ceballos as a methamphetamine distributor operating out of Spring Valley, California. According to court documents, Lopez-Ceballos used conspirators, including a juvenile, as couriers to distribute methamphetamine in east San Diego County.

Lopez-Ceballos is the final defendant to be sentenced from this investigation. The court previously sentenced co-defendants Dianne Lynn Pinal to serve 48 months in prison; Rafael Gaspar-Alvorado to serve 48 months in prison; and Felipe de Jesus Lopez-Lopez to serve 30 months in prison.

Federal criminal defense lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on drug conspiracy and distribution crimes for over 30 years. We are well aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such drug charges and have successfully handled hundreds of cases. When faced with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charges you need an experienced Los Angeles and United States drug conspiracy and distribution criminal defense lawyer with experience in representing clients for federal drug crimes. If you have been charged with a drug distribution crime in California, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.

In Phoenix, Arizona, Stanley William Taylor, Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute by a federal jury in Phoenix. The trial began before United States District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton on September 8, 2010, and the jury returned its verdict of guilt on September 15, 2010. The defendant was taken into the custody of the United States Marshal Service. 

The evidence at trial showed that a marijuana trafficking organization was acquiring wholesale quantities of marijuana in Arizona, and then shipping the drug to purchasers in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The defendant agreed to use his position as a UPS delivery driver in Cleveland, Ohio to assist the drug trafficking organization with the delivery of boxes filled with illegal drugs. A Special Agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration testified that the organization’s drug ledgers reflected the sale of more than 6,900 pounds of marijuana. The banking records of the defendant’s associates showed more than $900,000 in cash deposits while the two-year conspiracy was underway.

“The success of a drug trafficking organization requires the complicity of many, and this verdict demonstrates you will be held to answer,” said Dennis K. Burke, the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.

A conviction for conspiracy to possess at least 100 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute carries a maximum penalty of 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine, or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Bolton will consult the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. 

The investigation leading to the guilty verdict was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Mesa Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tempe Police Department, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix

Federal criminal defense lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on drug trafficking matters for three decades. We are well aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such charges and have successfully handled numerous cases. When faced with marijuana drug trafficking charges you need a skilled Los Angeles and United States drug trafficking criminal defense attorney with experience in representing clients for drug crimes. Such charges could include offenses for drug possession, drug trafficking and other drug related charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug trafficking crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.