 |
Department of Justice Acting United States Attorney Candace G. Hill Contact: Dawn Masden |
Return to the Press Release Index
June 22, 2009
FINAL DEFENDANT OF FOUR IN EIGHT KILOGRAM COCAINE CONSPIRACY SENTENCED
– Reverse buy operation nets over $182,000
LOUISVILLE, KY - Ciricao Carranco Lucio, a/k/a Primo, age 28, a non United States citizen, was sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, by United States District Court Judge Jennifer B. Coffman, for his role in a conspiracy to attempt to possess and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Candace G. Hill of the Western District of Kentucky announced today.
Ciricao Carranco Lucio, a/k/a Primo is the final member of a four-man drug conspiracy to be sentenced. On June 12, 2008, the defendant and co-defendant, Jose Alfaro Mendez, arranged for the co-defendants Paul Smith and Steven Fowler to purchase eight kilograms of cocaine for $21, 500 a kilogram from an individual they assumed to be a well connected drug dealer. However, unbeknownst to all of the defendants the drug dealer was actually a confidential informant operating on behalf of special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the substance, was in fact not cocaine. When the defendants, Smith, Fowler, and Mendez arrived at a predetermined location to exchange the money for the cocaine they, along with the co-defendant, Luccio were arrested by special agents of the DEA. The special agents recovered in excess of $182,000 cash from defendants Smith and Fowler. Both Smith and Fowler later admitted that they had previously purchased kilogram quantities of cocaine from defendant Mendez.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac Shannon, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
#####
Return to the Press Release Index