Four Men Indicted for Trafficking Methamphetamine in North Alabama

BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted four men on charges of trafficking methamphetamine in north Alabama. The indictment follows the four men’s arrest last week and the seizure of more than 23 pounds of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay A. Morris.

An indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges ALFREDO LIZARRAGA ALARCON, 43, of Cleveland, Ala., FRANCISCO ALVAREZ “Edgar Alarcon” MONTES, 55, of Birmingham, DANIEL MORA “Moralejos” GONZALEZ, 43, of Tarrant, and GUILLERMO OLEA PEREZ, 44, of Phoenix, Ariz., with conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in Jefferson County and elsewhere in north Alabama between January 2014 and May 2016. Alarcon, Montes and Gonzalez are all Mexican nationals, and Perez is a Cuban national.

The indictment also charges various defendants with specific distribution counts. Those counts are as follows:

• Alarcon and Gonzalez, distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Jefferson County on May 3;

• Alarcon and Montes, distributing 50 grams of methamphetamine on May 17 in Jefferson County;

• Alarcon, Montes and Perez, possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on May 18 in Jefferson and Blount counties;

• Gonzalez, possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more methamphetamine on May 18 in Jefferson County.

The indictment contains 26 counts of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime. All of the telephone counts include Alarcon, 14 include Montes and four include Gonzalez.

The conspiracy charge and the possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine both carry a penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a maximum $10 million fine. The charges involving distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine carry a penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a maximum $5 million fine.

The charge of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

DEA investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin D. Shutt is prosecuting.

An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

###