Southern Texas Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Conspiracy, Money Laundering Conspiracy, And Four Drug Distribution Counts While Serving Federal Sentence In USP Marion

Joel Lopez, Jr., 37, pled guilty in federal district court yesterday afternoon to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana, money laundering conspiracy, and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Lopez was detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for July 13, 2016, at 9:30 A.M. before the Honorable Nancy J. Rosenstengel, United States District Judge. Two of the distribution counts and the drug conspiracy count each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment up to life imprisonment followed by a minimum of five years on supervised release as well as a fine of up to $10,000,000 and a special assessment fee of $100. The other two distribution counts carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years to no more than forty years imprisonment, no less than four years of supervised release, a fine up to $5,000,000 and a special assessment fee of $100 each. The money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of no more than twenty years imprisonment, a fine of $500,000, no more than three years of supervised release and $100 special assessment fee.

Facts revealed in open court indicated that in some time in or before May 2014, Lopez, who was an inmate at the United States Penitentiary Marion, in Williamson County, Illinois, passed to two fellow inmates the telephone number of a codefendant in Southern Texas who distributed drugs. This telephone number was then passed to others who purchased or agreed to purchase cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from the codefendant. The purchasers wired through bank accounts or MoneyGram drug proceeds to the codefendant in Southern Texas, who provided some of the proceeds to Lopez’s family as payment for recruiting new customers. Law enforcement seized over ten kilograms of pure crystal methamphetamine, commonly referred to as "ice" in the investigation.

Evidence in support of this prosecution was obtained in an investigation which was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. Agencies participating in this case include the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump.