AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885

October 25, 2006

OCDETF: WASHINGTON, D.C. DRUG DISTRIBUTOR SENTENCED TO LIFE IN MULTI-STATE DRUG TRAFFICKING SCHEME

GREENBELT, Maryland - Luis Mangual, Jr., age 46 of Washington, D.C. was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus to life in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 150 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Mangual, Jr. is one of 27 defendants convicted in this multistate drug trafficking scheme.

According to the statement of facts presented at his March 18, 2006 guilty plea, Mangual, Jr. conspired with his father, Luis Mangual, Sr., Paulette Martin and others from 2002 through June 2, 2004 to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 150 kilograms of cocaine and over 1.5 kilograms of crack cocaine. During March 2004, Mangual, Jr. made at least three deliveries of kilograms of cocaine to Martin. Martin would contact Mangual and order kilograms using terms such as box of envelopes, novels, autobiographies, books, case of oranges, and sunglasses. During the conversations, Martin explained that she was going to convert the cocaine to crack cocaine by stating, for example, that she was going to make orange muffins. From March to June 1, 2004, Mangual distributed at least 6 kilograms of cocaine to Martin and kilograms of cocaine to other regular customers. Mangual Jr. used two separate sources for his drugs, one of whom was his father.

Luis Mangual, Sr., age 67, of New Rochelle, New York, pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy charge and was sentenced to 262 months in prison.

Paulette Martin, age 59, of Takoma Park, Maryland was convicted on September 1, 2006 after a 10 week trial on the drug conspiracy charge and on a number of charges relating to the use of communication devices to facilitate drug trafficking. Martin faces a maximum penalty of life in prison at her sentencing, which U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus has scheduled for December 19, 2006.

Co-defendant Gwendolyn Levi, age 61, of Elkridge, Maryland, who supplied kilograms of heroin to Martin, pled guilty on April 19, 2005 to the drug conspiracy. She was sentenced on October 6, 2006 to 35 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus enhanced Levi’s sentence upon finding that she obstructed justice when she refused to testify at trial, even after being immunized and ordered to testify, and when she provided updates on the case to her drug-partner, William Turner, age 73, of Silver Spring, Maryland, a fugitive at the time. Turner has since pled guilty and was sentenced in February to 17 1/2 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the agencies in this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case, including the Prince George’s and Montgomery County Police Departments; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; the Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force; Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County Police Departments; and the Maryland State Police. Mr. Rosenstein also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah A. Johnston and Bonnie S. Greenberg, who are prosecuting the case.