Dominican National Sentenced To Over 10 Years’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking And Firearm Offense

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Luis Beato-Hererra, age 29, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 130 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release on November 20, 2018, by Chief United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine hydrochloride, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Beato-Hererra pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin (which is the equivalent to approximately 40,000 to 50,000 individuals doses of heroin) and five kilograms or more of cocaine hydrochloride, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The charges stem from an investigation in which the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents intercepted packages sent from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to the United States between June and October 2014.  The packages contained kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine hydrochloride concealed inside xbox consoles, air filters, and projectors. The conspiracy spanned from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

Beato-Hererra was charged in July 2015 with ten other individuals.  All of his co-defendants have been sentenced:

• Christian Rivera-Rios was sentenced to 181 months’ imprisonment;
• Glauco Kelvin Celedonio-Smith was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment;
• Yefries Guillen-Herrera was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment;
• Felix Rodriguez-Pabon was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment;
• Nelson Martinez was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment;
• Wilson Herrera was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment;
• Wilfreddy Perez was sentenced to 35 months’ imprisonment;
• Jose Pena-Herrera was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment;
• Lional Martinez-Osoria was sentenced to 68 months’ imprisonment; and
• Joshua De La Cruz was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by HSI, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office Detective Unit and the U.S. Customs & Border Protection.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daryl F. Bloom prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

This case also was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.

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