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Press Release

Drug Supplier Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland
Ran an Organization That Supplied More Than 10 Kilos of Heroin to Traffickers in Cecil County and Delaware

Baltimore, Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Luis Lugo-Santiago, a/k/a “Papi,” and “Andres Galvez,” age 41, of New York, New York today to seven years in prison followed by a year of supervised release for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a kilogram or more of heroin, in connection with a drug distribution ring. 

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Don A. Hibbert of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office; Special Agent in Charge Gary Tuggle, Philadelphia Division of the DEA; Cecil County Sheriff Scott Adams; Chief William Ryan of the Elkton Police Department; Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; Cecil County State’s Attorney Ellis Rollins; and Colonel Nathaniel McQueen, Jr. of the Delaware State Police.             

According to his plea agreement, since at least December 2012, Lugo-Santiago obtained bulk quantities of heroin from a supplier in Pennsylvania and others.  Lugo-Santiago and his associates took this bulk heroin to an apartment they rented in New York. Lugo-Santiago employed approximately six people at the apartment to cut and re-package the heroin for further distribution in Maryland and Delaware.

Co-defendant Rachine Garnett generally purchased the heroin in quantities of 1.4 grams for $260. Beginning in January 2013, the Cecil County (Maryland) Drug Enforcement Task Force and DEA had a wiretap on phones used by Lugo-Santiago and Garnett, pursuant to a court order.  On several occasions, Garnett and Lugo-Santiago were overheard disputing the amount of money owed.  Over the course of the seven-month wiretap, investigators identified 59 money deliveries from Garnett totaling $1,668,510.  At a rate of $260 per 1.4 grams of heroin, Garnett was intercepted obtaining approximately 8.98 kilograms of heroin during the course of the wiretap.

Investigators also intercepted numerous calls between Lugo-Santiago and: customers in Maryland and Delaware about providing new supplies of heroin, obtaining payment for prior supplies of heroin, and the quality of the heroin; his suppliers; individuals he employed to cut and package the heroin.

On August 15, 2013, investigators executed a search warrant at the New York apartment used to process the heroin, and seized more than a kilogram of heroin, some of which was in the process of being packaged by several individuals.

Over the course of the conspiracy, Lugo-Santiago distributed more than 10 kilograms of heroin to customers in Maryland and Delaware, which were then re-distributed to local customers. 

Six defendants have pleaded guilty to their participation in the heroin conspiracy and have been sentenced to between two and 10 years in prison, including Rachine Huron Garnett, a/k/a “Sheen,” “Red,” “Ray,” and “Blockhead,” age 40, of Elkton, Maryland who was sentenced to 10 years in prison.  

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DEA, Cecil County Drug Task Force, and Delaware State Police for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein also recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Delaware, Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York and the New York Police Department for their assistance. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth S. Clark and James G. Warwick, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

Updated April 21, 2016

Topics
Drug Trafficking
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