WICHITA, KAN. – A California man who was stopped by the Kansas Highway Patrol has been indicted on charges of smuggling heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Marcus C. Hicks, 29, Rialto, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately five pounds of marijuana and one count of interstate drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 30, 2012, in Seward County, Kan.

Hicks initially was charged in a criminal complaint filed Nov. 1 in U.S. District Court in Wichita. The complaint alleged Hicks was driving a rented car eastbound on US 54 near Liberal, Kan., when he was stopped by the Kansas Highway Patrol. A search turned up two gift wrapped packages in the rear cargo area. In the packages were two plastic containers containing approximately 907 grams (approximately 2 pounds) of methamphetamine, approximately 793 grams of heroin (approximately 1.7 pounds) and approximately five pounds of marijuana.

If convicted, Hicks faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $5 million on both the methamphetamine count and the heroin count; and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on both the marijuana count and the interstate drug trafficking count. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas Highway Patrol investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Gilberto A. Saucedo-Hernandez, 33, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of counterfeiting identification documents, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a firearm. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in October 2012 in Wichita, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a mandatory two years consecutive to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000 on the identity theft count; and a maximum penalty of 10 years without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the other counts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Guadalupe Burciaga-Alcantar, 39, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of possession of false documents, one count of aggravated identity theft, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, one count of making a false statement to the government, and one count of making a false claim of U.S. citizenship. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in October 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole on each count of possessing false documents, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition; a mandatory two years consecutive to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000 on the identity theft charge; a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of making a false statement to the government; and a maximum penalty of three years and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of making a false claim of U.S. citizenship. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Pedro A. Castro, 35, Garden City, Kan., 35, Garden City, Kan., is charged with one count of theft from programs receiving federal funding. The crime is alleged to have occurred from 2009 to Feb. 23, 2012, in Finney County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Garden City Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

Jason Edwards, 30, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 23, 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than life and a fine up to $4 million. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

Eric A. Pena, 22, Wichita, Kan., and Jesse H. Talent, 32, Wichita, Kan., are charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of unlawful possession of firearms after each of them was convicted of a felony, and one count of unlawful possession of firearm made from a rifle. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 8, 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of unlawful possession by a felony, and maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $10,000 on the other count. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

Jorge Garcia-Jovalera, 33, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien; and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by an illegal alien. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 30, 2012, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful re-entry charge; and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the remaining two counts. The Department of Homeland Security’s Enforcement Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blair Watson is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

 

 

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