Wednesday, November 19, 2014
CLEVELAND
Four defendants who pleaded guilty in a New York City-to-Mahoning Valley heroin distribution conspiracy case have been sentenced to federal prison this week.
Carlos Gonzalez drew a 98-month prison term and Bradley Jackson a 40-month prison term Tuesday from U.S. District Court Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.
On Monday, Judge Oliver sentenced Caroline Alba-Ventura and Luis R. Cruz to prison terms of 30 and 26 months, respectively.
Gonzalez will be on supervised release for five years after prison and the others for three years after prison.
They were among 11 people a federal grand jury indicted last December in a ring that brought heroin from New York City to the Youngstown area and was active between November 2012 and November 2013.
Another defendant who pleaded guilty, Frankie Torres, will be sentenced at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Jose Lebron, 46, who pleaded guilty Oct. 22 and will be sentenced at 3 p.m. Jan. 15, was accused of dealing heroin from homes on 12th Street and Whipple Avenue in Campbell.
The defendants are from Youngstown, Campbell and New York.
During the 15-month investigation, authorities seized about 8.8 pounds of heroin, $200,000 in cash, nine vehicles, 26 guns and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Lebron will be among several defendants who have pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in January.
Jhosy A. Lopez will be sentenced Jan. 6; Luis A. Pagan on Jan. 8; and Daniel M. Gonzalez, Rafael DeJesus and Angel Rodriguez on Jan. 15.
DeJesus supplied heroin to Lopez, who transported the drug from New York to Youngstown and the drug proceeds from Ohio to New York, the 79-count indictment says.
DeJesus or Lopez provided heroin to Alba-Ventura with instructions to transport it from New York to Ohio and to transport the drug proceeds from Ohio back to New York, according to the indictment.
Five of the defendants possessed guns to protect themselves and their drug proceeds, the indictment said.