A man who supervised an ice methamphetamine conspiracy operating from Columbus Junction to Webster City was sentenced on October 20, 2011, to 35 years in federal prison.

Jacinto Rivera-Mendoza from Mexico pled guilty on March 30, 2011, to conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more methamphetamine which contained 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine, and to being an undocumented alien found in the United States after having been previously removed.

Unsealed court documents reflect Rivera-Mendoza was a subject of a court-authorized wiretap investigation in the summer of 2010. As a result of the investigation, on September 20, 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration served a search warrant at Rivera-Mendoza’s residence in Des Moines, Iowa. Officers found various quantities of methamphetamine throughout Rivera-Mendoza’s house, some suspended in a liquid, some that Rivera-Mendoza had processed from the liquid, and some that Rivera-Mendoza had already “cut” with a horse supplement. Laboratory analysis of the substances found in Rivera-Mendoza’s residence revealed they contained 4,262.7 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Officers also found $26,240.16 in cash proceeds of Rivera-Mendoza’s methamphetamine operation in his residence, as well as a ledger detailing over nine pounds of methamphetamine distributions between August 22, 2010, and September 14, 2010. Ledgers discovered during a search of co-conspirator Jesus Delrio’s residence the same date detailed an additional approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine distributed by the conspiracy between April and July 2010.

Rivera-Mendoza was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. At sentencing, the Court found Rivera-Mendoza was a supervisor of the drug conspiracy, and that methamphetamine involved in the conspiracy was imported from Mexico. Rivera-Mendoza was sentenced to 420 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge, and 24 months’ imprisonment on the immigration charge. The prison terms were ordered to be served concurrent to one another. A special assessment of $200 was imposed. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Eleven other individuals convicted in the investigation had previously been sentenced to federal prison.

Jesus Delrio of Columbus Junction, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On October 13, 2011, he was sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment, and five years’ supervised release.

Esteban Huizar of Des Moines, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On August 23, 2011, he was sentenced to 92 months’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release.

Francisco Ceballos-Arechiga, of Mexico, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. On August 8, 2011, he was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently, and 5 years’ supervised release.

Jaime Mondragon, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On August 1, 2011, he was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release.

Tony Miranda-Rodriguez, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering. On August 3, 2011, he was sentenced to 169 months’ imprisonment and five total years’ supervised release.

Michael Sean Brecht, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine after a prior felony drug conviction. On June 1, 2011, he was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, and 10 years’ supervised release.

Yesenia Ruiz-Garcia, of Des Moines, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On August 1, 2011, she was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release.

Abraham Romero-Gembe, of Waterloo, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and being an undocumented alien found in the United States after having been previously removed following a felony conviction. On August 31, 2011, he was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and 120 months’ on the immigration charge, to be served concurrently to one another. The Court also revoked Romero-Gembe’s supervised release on a prior illegal re-entry charge out of Texas, and sentenced him to 24-months’ imprisonment, to be run consecutive to the sentences imposed on his drug and immigration charges in Iowa.

Gilberto Parra-Castillo, of Webster City, Iowa, pled guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On September 22, 2011, he was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release.

Rogelio Rodriguez, Jr., of Columbus Junction, Iowa, pled guilty to two counts of use of a communications device to facilitate a drug offense. On September 30, 2011, he was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment and 1 year of supervised release.

Patricia Hernandez-Munoz, of Columbus Junction, Iowa, pled guilty to making a false declaration before the grand jury. On September 1, 2011, she was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment and 3 years’ supervised release.

The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham and investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Department of Homeland Security; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; the Iowa City Police Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services; and the Iowa National Guard.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file numbers are CR10-0090-LRR and CR11-0068-LRR.

 

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