Resident of Trinidad and Tobago Extradited to U.S. to Face Drug Charges

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Shurlan Guppy, aka Shurlan Gorin, Rafael Oquendo, Christopher Hughes Matthews, and Marc Roman, 48, of Trinidad and Tobago, was arrested and charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and cocaine and related drug offenses.

Guppy made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania last week, following his extradition from Trinidad and Tobago. He was ordered detained in federal custody at a detention hearing this afternoon.

The indictment alleges that, from approximately 2017 to July 2022, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the District of Delaware and elsewhere, Guppy conspired with others to distribute bulk amounts of various controlled substances, including heroin and cocaine.

The indictment further alleges that Guppy distributed such controlled substances in person and by other means, including through various delivery services in exchange for cash.

Guppy and the others communicated with each other in person and via cell phones, the indictment alleges, sometimes on Facetime and through encrypted internet/phone application WhatsApp, to discuss pricing, availability, and delivery and payment arrangements for controlled substances, sometimes using coded language to describe their drug trafficking activities.

If convicted of all charges, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lizmar Bosques.

Significant assistance with the extradition was provided by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and its Transnational Organized Crime Unit, the Trinidad and Tobago Central Authority of the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Immigration, the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.