Indictment: Crystal Meth Was Shipped FedEx

WICHITA, KAN. - Three people living in Wichita were indicted Tuesday on federal charges they used FedEx to smuggle a pound of crystal methamphetamine to Wichita, U.S. Barry Grissom said.

Mario Murillo-Arteaga, 20, Wichita, Kan.; Marcela Acuna-Ramirez, 30, Wichita, Kan.; and Elisa Anchondo-Loya, 25, Wichita, Kan., were charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute crystal meth.

In court documents, prosecutors alleged that on Aug. 11, 2015, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration kept the three defendants under surveillance while FedEx delivered a parcel to an apartment at 2715 S. Topeka in Wichita. When no one answered the door, the driver left the parcel at the apartment complex office. After picking up the package, Murillo-Arteaga left in one vehicle and the two women left in another vehicle.

Police stopped the women’s car, where they found the parcel, which contained approximately a pound of crystal meth. When police stopped Murillo-Arteaga’s vehicle they found $2,000 in cash in the console. Investigators learned that the women were being paid $1,000 each to pick up the parcel for Murillo-Arteaga.

If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million. The Wichita Police Department and the DEA investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

Anthony G. Moore, 50, Wichita, Kan., and Randy L. Perry, 54, Wichita, Kan., are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately a pound of methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 13, 2015, in Wichita, Kan.

If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million. The Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
 

Miguel Concepcion, 25, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of counterfeiting a $970 postal money order and one count of possessing a stolen blank money order. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in October 2014 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith is prosecuting.

Ismael Saldana-Vasquez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found July 30, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Luis Felipe Lopez-Vivas, 27, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug. 10, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Jesus Reyes, 40, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 29, 2015 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the drug charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the firearm charges. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.

Maria S. Alvidrez, 30, Plains, Kan., is charged with two counts of theft of mail while she was employed as a postal worker at the post office in Kismet, Kan. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in April and May 2015.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

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