LEXINGTON, KY - A California man who led a conspiracy that was responsible for distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in northern Kentucky was sentenced today to 168 months in prison.
U.S. District Court Judge David L. Bunning sentenced 50-year-old Epifanio Floriano-Luis, of Anaheim, Calif., for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
This was the seventh and final sentencing resulting from a long-term investigation conducted by federal and state officials. The investigation targeted a group engaged in large-scale methamphetamine trafficking throughout northern Kentucky. Members of the conspiracy brought crystal methamphetamine to this area from California through automobiles and packages shipped in the mail. Conspiracy members distributed the methamphetamine to locations in Kenton and Grant Counties.
The members of the group were initially charged in federal court in April of 2011. All of them pled guilty in July of 2011 except for Floriano-Luis, who was identified as the leader of the conspiracy. Floriano-Luis entered a guilty plea the morning of his trial in November of last year.
Leland Frazer and Juan Carlos Chavez-Calderon were each sentenced to 48 months in prison. Olvan Antonio Andrade-Mejia and Jose Valentin Rivas-Perez each received a sentenced of 60 months in prison. Dassaev Almendra-Floriano was sentenced to 30 months in prison and Cesar Tavera-Segura received a 90 month prison sentence.
Under federal law, each must serve at least 85 percent of the prison sentence. All members of the group face periods of supervised release between three and five years upon completion of their prison sentences.
Kerry B. Harvey, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Paul Chambers, Resident Agent in Charge, United States Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement jointly made the announcement today after the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony J. Bracke.
