Last Updated on April 26, 2024, 12:04 PM | Published: April 26, 2024
The United States Department of Justice sends this information as posted below:
EDMOND MAN SENTENCED TO SERVE 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DRUG CONSPIRACY, CAPPING INVESTIGATION INTO MAJOR METHAMPHETAMINE & COCAINE ORGANIZATION IN OKLAHOMA
Organization distributed narcotics throughout the United States
OKLAHOMA CITY – ANTONIO ORTIZ HERRERA, 46, of Edmond, has been sentenced to serve 264 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) which was responsible for distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The sentencing is the culmination of a nearly two-year, nationwide investigation, led by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with support from IRS Criminal Investigation.
On June 8, 2022, a federal grand jury returned a 14-count Indictment against Ortiz and several other co-defendants for their roles in the DTO. According to public record, co-defendant Victoriano Neri Hernandez, 37, was head of the DTO in Oklahoma, while Ortiz facilitated the distribution of the drugs throughout the country, including to North Carolina and Kentucky. The Indictment alleges the DTO had ties to Mexico, and that the methamphetamine and cocaine would be shipped from Mexico into both Texas and Oklahoma. According to public record, the organization would smuggle the illegal drugs in hidden compartments of camper shells attached to pick-up trucks.
On July 25, 2023, Ortiz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. As part of his plea, Ortiz admitted to knowingly participating in the conspiracy that distributed both methamphetamine and cocaine throughout the Western District of Oklahoma and elsewhere.
At the sentencing hearing on April 24, 2024, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Ortiz to serve 264 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. As part of the sentencing, the court noted the seriousness of the offenses, including the geographic scope of the organization and the quantity of controlled substances, as well as Ortiz’s role in the organization.
In all, nine defendants with involvement in the DTO have been sentenced to serve more than 91 years collectively in federal prison:
- Victoriano Neri Hernandez – sentenced to serve 288 months in federal prison for drug conspiracy and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute;
- Cesar Cecilio Perez Rubio – sentenced to serve 108 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine;
- David Gandara – sentenced to serve 84 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Jorge Luis Becerra – sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute;
- Ruby Jackson – sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine;
- Yoelmmi Franco Sandoval – sentenced to serve 71 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine;
- Arturo Alberto Gonsen Romo – sentenced to serve 71 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; and
- Ivan Chanax Aguilar – sentenced to serve 64 months in federal prison for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department, with support from IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Anderson and Nick Coffey prosecuted the case. This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
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