Two Men Sentenced for Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man and an Independence, Mo., man were sentenced in federal court today for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that resulted in the shooting deaths of three persons during a home invasion in Independence and the shooting of a 12-year-old boy in the home.

Antonio Cervantes, III, also known as “Taz,” 34, of Independence, and Carlos Zambrano, Jr., also known as “Los,” 29, of Kansas City, Mo., were sentenced in separate appearances before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips. Cervantes was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Zambrano was sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole.

Cervantes and Zambrano both pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Cervantes, Zambrano and several co-defendants planned to steal as much as three pounds of methamphetamine by robbing the residence of Martin “Tomas” Dominguez-Gregorio in Independence. During the robbery attempt, in the early morning hours of Nov. 16, 2012, Martin “Tomas” Dominguez-Gregorio, his girlfriend, Maria Guadalupe Hernandez-Corona, and her son, Antonio Hernandez, were killed; Miguel Hernandez, Maria Hernandez’s then-12–year-old son, was wounded.

Cervantes and Zambrano met with co-defendants Kevin M. Finley, also known as “Tubbs,” 36, of Independence, and Raul Soto, also known as “Choch,” 24, of Kansas City, Kan., to plan the robbery on Nov. 15, 2012. Finley and Soto were both in possession of firearms.

Finley and Soto entered a shed behind the house. Finley admitted that they bound and beat two occupants inside the shed. One of those occupants was Antonio Hernandez. Finley and Soto then dragged Antonio Hernandez into the main house. Finley and Soto demanded drugs and money from the occupants, but the victims denied having any drugs or money. Finley and Soto both fired their weapons inside the house. Finley was responsible for the deaths of Dominguez-Gregorio and Hernandez-Corona, who were both killed by the gunfire. Soto was responsible for the death of Antonio Hernandez, who was killed by the gunfire. Miguel Hernandez was wounded as a result of the gunfire.

Following the robbery, a motorcycle and a TV were removed from the residence.

Soto was sentenced on Nov. 18, 2014, to 27 years in federal prison without parole.

Finley pleaded guilty on Sept. 10, 2015, to participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to two counts of using a firearm during and in relation to the drug-trafficking conspiracy, causing the deaths of two persons. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Finley will be sentenced to 27 years in federal prison without parole.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Ambrose and Patrick C. Edwards. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.