SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Attorney’s office announced one of its largest drug busts on Tuesday and the majority of the defendants are from San Diego. Sixty people are being accused of taking part in a sophisticated drug ring supported by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
For well over a year, multiple agencies worked through the pandemic, using wiretaps and surveillance, to disrupt the operations of a network connected to one of the oldest cartels in Mexico.
“If you’re involved in drug trafficking, and you possess weapons, you’re going to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Matthew Sutton, one of the Asst. U.S. Attorneys working on the case.
A strong message from the Dept. of Justice. On Tuesday, the US Attorney for the Southern District of California unsealed an indictment charging 60 people, most of them based in San Diego, for drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offenses. The U.S. Attorney’s office said the group is also connected to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
“What the Sinaloa Cartel does, it’s a multifaceted criminal organization. It supplies the vast majority of controlled substances that are being imported our border here,” Sutton said.
Fifty-four of the 60 people facing federal charges are from San Diego and San Ysidro. Over 20 law enforcement agencies came together, seizing over 220 pounds of meth and other illegal drugs, over 90 firearms and more than $250,000 in cash. They’re also working to confiscate residential properties and high-end vehicles from the defendants.
“We estimate that this network was responsible for importing almost 100 lbs of methamphetamine almost every week, almost 500 lbs every month and they’ve been doing this for years,” Sutton said.
According to the indictment, the defendants distributed drugs throughout San Diego County, in 14 other states as well as Australia and New Zealand. Sutton said getting the drugs and guns off the streets of San Diego is especially important right now, as violent crime tends to increase during the summer.
“You can quantify the tons of methamphetamine that’s being imported and along with the 90 firearms that we took off the street. Those are 90 firearms that aren’t going to be used in the commission of a violent offense,” Sutton said.
Forty-four of the 60 people named in this indictment are already in custody and multiple agencies continue to search for the others.
Summary of Charges:
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846) Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments (18 U.S.C. §§ 1956(a)(1) and (h)) Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (21 U.S.C., § 841(a)(1)) Importation of Methamphetamine (21 U.S.C. §§ 952 and 960) Felon in Possession of a Firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)
Maximum Penalties:
For the drug charges, term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine and a lifetime of supervised release.
For money laundering charges, term of custody up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved, and three years of supervised release.
For the firearms charges, term of custody up to 10 years imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 21cr1559-H *Fugitives
(D1) Reyes Espinoza Age: 35 San Ysidro, CA
(D2) David Villegas Age: 49 San Diego, CA
(D3) John Bomenka Age: 54 San Diego, CA
(D4) Dennis Jones Age: 49 San Diego, CA
(D5) Darren Mosier Age: 59 San Diego, CA
(D6) Frank Tucker Age: 63 San Diego, CA
(D7) Charles Miller Age: 52 San Diego, CA
*(D 8) Carlos Espinoza Age: 28 Tijuana, MX
(D 9) Mario Espinoza Age: 20 Tijuana, MX
(D10) Jaron Hillyer Age: 30 San Diego, CA
(D11) Kristina Brown Age: 32 San Diego, CA
(D12) Danny Miller Age: 52 San Diego, CA
(D13) Shawn Morrill Age: 49 San Diego, CA
*(D14) Hilleal Grant Age: 51 San Diego, CA
*(D15) Lewis Rich Age: 59 San Diego, CA
(D16) Cameron Graff Age: 29 San Diego, CA
*(D17) Terry Haith Age: 60 San Diego, CA
(D18) Tansy Steinhauer Age: 51 San Diego, CA
*(D19) Jessica Pomeroy Age: 30 San Diego, CA
*(D20) Shadow Segura Age: 23 Houston, TX
(D21) Jasmine Lucas Age: 50 San Diego, CA
(D22) Philip Abbas Age: 42 San Diego, CA
*(D23) Peter Fuller Age: 63 San Diego, CA
(D24) Eduardo Osuna Age: 41 San Diego, CA
(D25) Frank Carrillo Age: 45 San Diego, CA
(D26) Stephen Myrick Age: 45 San Diego, CA
(D27) Gloria Sandoval Age: 40 San Diego, CA
*(D28) Ashley Hilton Age: 42 Houston, TX
(D29) Joseph Occhiogrosso Age: 44 Brooklyn, NY
(D30) Gary Beasley Age: 39 San Diego, CA
*(D31) Arnulfo Rodriguez Age: 38 San Diego, CA
(D32) Alexandro Larios -Flores Age: 24 San Diego, CA
*(D33) Jose Vargas Age: 31 San Diego, CA
(D34) Michael Nagle Age: 50 San Diego, CA
*(D35) Raymond Sterling Age: 51 San Diego, CA
(D36) Terry Tyler Age: 49 San Diego, CA
(D37) Victor Yamasaki Age: 59 San Diego, CA
(D38) Chris Paschke Age: 57 San Diego, CA
(D39) Charles Gerardi Age: 57 Houston, TX
(D40) Christian Lopez -Villegas Age: 34 San Ysidro, CA
(D41) David Santa Maria Age: 49 San Diego, CA
(D42) Melvin Johnson Age: 44 San Diego, CA
(D43) Daniel Babuata Age: 34 San Diego, CA
*(D44) Garrett Steele Age: 40 San Diego, CA
(D45) Vien Trinh Age: 62 San Diego, CA
*(D46) Troy Prater Age: 46 San Diego, CA
*(D47) Sharon Landhan Age: 44 San Diego, CA
(D48) Gabriel Askay Age: 44 San Diego, CA
(D49) Patrick Lane Age: 57 San Diego, CA
(D50) Kevin Tobin Age: 65 San Diego, CA
(D51) James Ellerbe Age: 68 San Diego, CA
(D52) Hope Stoneking Age: 35 San Diego, CA
(D53) Tasha Almanza Age: 42 San Diego, CA
*(D54) Jason Ferguson Age: 48 San Diego, CA
(D55) Kelle Ferguson Age: 52 San Diego, CA
*(D56) Roger Desroche Age: 74
(D57) Steven Brandt Age: 57 San Diego, CA
(D58) Esteban Gastelum-Sanchez Age: 42 San Diego, CA
(D59) Tara Scroggins Age: 45 San Diego, CA
(D60) Debbie Hill Age: 59 San Diego, CA