Fifteen Convicted or Charged in Amherst County Methamphetamine Conspiracy

Lynchburg, VIRGINIA – An investigation into the distribution of methamphetamine in and around Amherst County, Virginia has resulted in more than a dozen arrests and convictions, United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

The investigation led to multiple kilo-level seizures of methamphetamine, as well as the seizure of numerous firearms, and tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. To date, more than a dozen individuals have been arrested, charged and/or convicted in federal court on charges resulting from this investigation.

Those individuals charged/convicted in federal court are:

1. George Christopher Mays, 43, of Wingina, Virginia.
2. David Campos-Luebano, 26, of Chatham, Virginia.
3. Graciano Ochoa-Bermudez, 40, a citizen of Mexico
4. Isabel Gonzalez, 56, of Concord, North Carolina.
5. Irineo Perez-Aguirre, 42, a citizen of Mexico.
6. Jeffrey Dean-Dickinson, 51, of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
7. Lance Dereck Hicks, 28, of Lynchburg, Virginia.
8. Jonathan Wayne Angus, 29, of Gladstone, Virginia.
9. Timothy Edgar Bryant, 36, of Gladstone, Virginia.
10. Edgar Estrada Ruiz, 33, of Burke, Virginia.
11. Cynthia D. Baird, 33, of Earlysville, Virginia.
12. John Bernard Goolsby, 45, of Shipman, Virginia.
13. Wayne Thomas Burnley, 43, of Wingina, Virginia.
14. Stephanie Hurst, 32, of Lewisburg, North Carolina
15. Kenneth Cordova, 32, of North Carolina 

This investigation originated with the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit. Due to the quantity of drugs, operational costs, and the expansiveness of drug activity across multiple jurisdictions, the Drug Enforcement Administration was contacted for assistance. Investigative efforts uncovered a vast trafficking network and lead to the designation of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) case.

The investigation, which remains ongoing, is being conducted by the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration with substantial assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Virginia State Police, the Lynchburg Police Department, the Waynesboro Police Department, the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Appomattox County Sherriff’s Office, the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office, the Buckingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Area Drug Task Force, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division [SLED] and the South Boston Police Department.

 Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford is prosecuting the cases for the United States. A Grand Jury Indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.