Federal Jury Finds Metro Denver Men Guilty Of Drug Trafficking

DENVER – Two Metro Denver men were found guilty earlier this week of drug trafficking crimes following a five day jury trial before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer, announced U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn and DEA Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Tim McDermott.  Both of the defendants, Omar Humberto Gonzales-Hernandez and Jeremiah U. Serr, were present at the trial in custody.  They were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the trial’s conclusion.  Gonzales-Hernandez and Serr will be sentenced by Chief Judge Philip Brimmer on May 17, 2019. 

The defendants were charged by criminal complaint on May 11, 2018.  They were then indicted on June 6, 2018, to be followed by a superseding indictment on July 10, 2018, and a second superseding indictment on September 13, 2018.  On March 5, 2019, the two defendants were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine between October 17, 2016, and May 12, 2018.  Serr was also convicted of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.  The evidence at trial showed that Gonzales-Hernandez, Serr and three co-defendants worked together to distribute multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine purchased in Colorado to a buyer in Virginia where the price of methamphetamine is significantly higher. Three co-defendants previously entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. 

The conspiracy faltered on October 17, 2016 when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped Jeremiah U. Serr after he was clocked traveling east at 119 mph on I-70.  During that traffic stop, the Kansas Highway Patrol recovered one pound of methamphetamine.  After the DEA Denver Field Division became involved in the investigation, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department was able to contact Joanna Gonzalez-Zarate in Bennett, CO, on May 10, 2018, as she drove east on I-70.  The DEA and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department stopped Gonzalez-Zarate and recovered four pounds of methamphetamine.  A typical methamphetamine user purchase on the street is a gram or less. One pound of methamphetamine can be broken down into approximately 453 gram units.

During the trial the jury heard testimony from witnesses from Virginia, Kansas, California, Texas, and the Denver Metro area – including the Kansas Highway Patrol, DPD, DEA, and Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department. 

“Methamphetamine continues to be an epidemic in Colorado and is a priority for our narcotics section,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn.  “Pure meth can cause overdoses and death.  By removing meth dealers from our streets and targeting their source of supply, we continue to protect the people of Colorado.”

“This investigation is a great example of cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the country in battling dangerous drugs from hitting our communities,” said DEA Denver Division Special Agent in Charge Tim McDermott. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the Arapahoe County Sherriff’s Office, Denver Police Department, West Metro Drug Task Force and the Waynesboro, Virginia Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.   The Government’s case was presented at trial by Assistant United States Attorney Guy Till and Special Assistant United States Attorney Daniel McIntyre.