A federal jury has delivered guilty verdicts for three individuals involved in syndicates operating in Northern California, following an eight-day trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced the convictions on Thursday. The trial showcased compelling evidence, including intercepted calls spanning from April 2018 to February 2019, obtained through a federal wiretap investigation targeting two drug suppliers in the East Bay.
The intercepted calls revealed that both suppliers were sourcing drugs from Mexico. Federal prosecutors presented several significant drug seizures as evidence, including a haul of 8.8 pounds of fentanyl and heroin in May 2018, valued at up to $1.1 million. Additionally, 18 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in August 2018, followed by another seizure in February 2019, which included 20 pounds of methamphetamine and a kilogram of cocaine. The investigation also led to the confiscation of over $300,000 in drug-related cash.
One of the defendants, 38-year-old Luis Torres “Guero” Garcia, operated as a drug trafficker in Humboldt County. Garcia received methamphetamine shipments on credit from a drug supplier based in Fairfield. On August 8, 2018, the Fairfield supplier attempted to send approximately 18 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at $158,000, to Garcia. However, law enforcement intercepted the drug courier during a vehicle stop on Highway 101 near Healdsburg, resulting in the seizure of the drugs.
In February 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) tracked Garcia to a meeting in Windsor, where he handed over approximately $13,800 in cash to a courier representing his drug supplier. Despite being present throughout the trial and listening to closing arguments, Garcia absconded before the jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, making him a fugitive.
Another convicted drug trafficker, 31-year-old Evan Martinez Diaz, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On February 9, 2019, Diaz was transporting around 20 pounds of methamphetamine and a kilogram of cocaine through an Antioch neighborhood when he realized he was being followed by law enforcement, who had obtained information about the drugs through intercepted calls. Diaz attempted to evade capture by driving erratically and instructing an accomplice to discard the drugs in the bushes on a residential street. However, officers later discovered the drugs, which had an estimated value of $177,860 for the methamphetamine and $40,000 for the cocaine.
Following a traffic stop and subsequent release with a citation, Diaz was overheard on an intercepted call informing his supplier that he had disposed of the drugs to avoid arrest after noticing law enforcement presence. Meanwhile, Timothy Peoples, a 44-year-old resident of Antioch, was arrested after police discovered cocaine in his residence. Peoples faces two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Evidence presented during the trial revealed that he regularly purchased cocaine from an Antioch-based wholesaler, acquiring approximately 10.5 pounds of the drug for over $120,000 within a 90-day period. Prosecutors noted that Peoples used the codeword “babies” to refer to quantities of cocaine. He also sold cocaine in smaller amounts to customers and used the proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles.
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