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Press Release
TULSA, Okla.— R. Trent Shores, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, announced that the Grand Jury handed down a “True Bill” and issued an Indictment against five defendants, charging them with eight counts to include heroin conspiracy, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. The defendants charged are: Martin Estaban-Flores, a/k/a “Martin Esteban Flores-Gamez”, age 27; Wilber Ramirez, a/k/a “Carlos Gonzales Rosales”, a/k/a “Tadeo”, age 27; Antonio Mauro Inda-Ibarra, a/k/a “Guillermo Samuel Inda-Perez”, a/k/a “Tono”, age 25; Richardo Desantiago Garcia, a/k/a “Eder Cervantes Garcia”, a/k/a “Jose Ramon Beltran Torres”, a/k/a “Sinaloa”, age 40; Angel Verdin Martinez, a/k/a “Gabino”, age 22.
The Indictment alleges that the five defendants are part of a heroin distribution network that mirrors the delivery systems of national pizza restaurants. According to the Indictment, Flores acted as the dispatcher, receiving calls from customers who placed orders for heroin. After receiving the orders, Flores then directed those customers to specific locations where delivery drivers, such as Inda-Ibarra, Inda-Perez and Martinez, met the customers. Upon meeting, the delivery drivers distributed to the customers balloons containing one gram of heroin at a cost of $100 per balloon. The turnaround time for one of these heroin sales was usually about 30 minutes. The Indictment further alleges that the defendants distributed quantities of heroin and used communication facilities (cellular telephones) to facilitate the sale of heroin.
On October 16, 2017, FBI Special Agents and Task Force Officers executed a federal search warrant for Room 217 of the Quality Inn at 10829 East 41st Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Law enforcement agents observed Flores and Ramirez enter the room and, utilizing a wiretapped phone, they overheard what sounded like the packaging of heroin. During the search, law enforcement agents seized approximately four kilograms of suspected heroin, over $1,200 in cash, eight cell phones, and assorted drug paraphernalia and processing equipment. Additionally, the Indictment alleges that both Inda-Ibarra and Inda-Perez sold quantities of heroin to an undercover officer while they acted as delivery drivers.
“Heroin and illegal opiate drugs are poisoning our local communities,” said United States Attorney Shores. “The four kilograms of heroin seized by law enforcement represented approximately 16,000 doses with an approximate street value of $400,000 to $500,000. The United States Attorney’s Office stands ready to work with federal, state, local, and tribal partners to aggressively prosecute those who would seek to profit from the trafficking of heroin.”
The Indictment is part of “Operation: Papa Juan’s”, an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) investigation. The FBI, with the assistance of the Tulsa Police Department and the Broken Arrow Police Department, is the primary investigating agency, joined by the DEA HIDTA Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
THE RETURN OF AN INDICTMENT IS A METHOD OF INFORMING A DEFENDANT OF ALLEGED FEDERAL CRIMES WHICH MUST BE PROVEN IN A COURT OF LAW BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT TO OVERCOME A DEFENDANT’S PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE.