Five Sacramento Men Indicted for Trafficking in Drugs and Guns

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 32-count indictment today against five Sacramento men, charging them with various crimes related to trafficking in narcotics and firearms, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

• Osvaldo Hernandez, 33, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and heroin; distributing methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine; and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.

• Hector Gonzalez, 36, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and heroin; conspiring to deal firearms without a license, distributing methamphetamine and heroin; dealing firearms without a license; and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

• Christopher McCurin, 40, is charged with conspiring to deal firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Noe Baeza-Bravo, 30, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine; conspiring to deal firearms without a license; distributing methamphetamine; and dealing firearms without a license.

• Vidal Gonzalez, 56, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine; distributing methamphetamine, and dealing firearms without a license.

  According to court documents, between June 2014 and February 2016, on at least 19 different occasions, agents purchased methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and assault rifles from various defendants. According to the indictment, between April 2015 and October 2015, Baeza-Bravo, McCurin, and Hector Gonzalez conspired to willfully engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Vidal Gonzalez, Baeza-Bravo, and Hector Gonzalez sold assault rifles to an FBI source.

  All five defendants were arrested on March 16, 2016. All have been released pending trial except for Hector Gonzalez, who remains in custody.

  If convicted, the defendants face the following penalties: the penalty for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine is 10 years to life in prison; the maximum penalty for conspiring to distribute heroin is 20 years in prison; the maximum penalty for conspiring to deal firearms without a license is five years in prison; the maximum penalty for distributing methamphetamine, heroin or cocaine is 20 years in prison; the maximum penalty for dealing firearms without a license is five years in prison; the maximum penalty for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, or cocaine is 20 years in prison; and the maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

  This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Ross K. Naughton is prosecuting the case.

  This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.