FINAL MEMBER OF DRUG TRAFFICKING RING SENTENCED

The disruption of a major methamphetamine trafficking ring that began in March 2007 has finally turned its last chapter, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

Jonathan Perez-Vargas, 33, the final member of a group responsible for distributing almost thirty pounds of methamphetamine in the Treasure Valley, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison. He was the last of ten conspirators sentenced for trafficking methamphetamine in Idaho.

The investigation into the group began in early 2007 when the Idaho State Police began buying large quantities of methamphetamine from Nampa-resident Juan Manuel Santoyo. The state police arrested Santoyo on October 29, 2007, as he prepared to sell them 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine. Investigators later determined Santoyo was receiving methamphetamine from two sources: Jonathan Perez-Vargas of Caldwell, Idaho, and Graciano Marquez-Huazo of Salinas, California.

The Idaho State Police then arranged to have Graciano Marquez-Huazo deliver nine pounds of methamphetamine to Santoyo’s residence. On October 30, 2007, Marquez-Huazo, Judith Islas, Eduardo Frias-Cobos, and Tomas Gonzalez-Roldan were arrested after they arrived at Santoyo’s house in Nampa with nine pounds of methamphetamine.

In December 2007, the state police contacted Jonathan Perez-Vargas at his apartment in Caldwell where they found about one-half pound of methamphetamine. He later admitted selling methamphetamine to Santoyo.

Federal drug trafficking indictments were subsequently returned against Santoyo, Marquez-Huazo, Islas, Frias-Cobos, Gonzalez-Roldan, Perez-Vargas, Jesus Vargas-Diaz, Nikki Thiel, Todd Johnson, and Tina Dolan. All but three pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and were sentenced to federal prison sentences.

In May 2008, a Boise jury found Marquez-Huazo, Frias-Cobos, and Gonzalez-Roldan guilty of methamphetamine trafficking charges. Marquez-Huazo was sentenced to 394 months in prison, Frias-Cobos received 240 months in prison, and Gonzalez-Roldan received 120 months in prison.

The investigation, primarily handled by the Idaho State Police in Meridian working jointly with DEA, was a major success. Aside from disrupting a major drug ring, investigators also seized approximately seventeen pounds of methamphetamine valued close to $300,000, as well as over $48,000 in cash and several vehicles.

All ten defendants were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of its initiative to disrupt the sale of methamphetamine in Idaho.