COCAINE TRAFFICKERS PLEAD GUILTY

                 PHOENIX – On May 1, 2012, Regino Serrano-Cosio, 39, of Peoria, Ariz., and on May 2, 2012, Felix Angulo-Parra, 30, of Tolleson, Ariz., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, in federal district court in Phoenix.

                 According to court documents, Serrano-Cosio was employed as a truck driver for K & A Transportation, a trucking company owned by Angulo-Parra. On Sept. 28, 2011, Angulo-Parra met Serrano-Cosio at his semi-truck in order to obtain a shipment of cocaine. When law enforcement officers arrived at the semi-truck, Serrano-Cosio was in the process of hiding 20 packages of cocaine behind a speaker cover in the cab. The cocaine weighed approximately 21 kilograms, with a value of up to $483,000 in Arizona. Serrano-Cosio was going to transport the cocaine to a customer in Philadelphia, Pa.

                 A conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $10,000,000.00 fine, or both. In determining an actual sentence, U.S. District Chief Judge Roslyn O. Silver will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. Chief Judge Silver, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

                 Both defendants are scheduled to be sentenced before Chief Judge Silver, Angulo-Parra on July 23, 2012, and Serrano-Cosio on August 6, 2012.

                 The investigation in this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Glendale Police Department, the Peoria Police Department, the Buckeye Police Department, the Surprise Police Department, and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Jonell L. Lucca, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-11-1947-PHX-ROS
RELEASE NUMBER:   2012-110(Angulo-Parra_etal)

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/