Lead Defendant Sentenced in Major Drug Conspiracy

Abingdon, VIRGINIA – The lead defendant in a drug distribution organization that trafficked methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine from Texas and Indiana into Southwest Virginia was recently sentenced in federal court on drug conspiracy charges, United States Attorney Thomas T. Cullen and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced.

In a hearing yesterday, Daniel Augusto Rosa-Suarez, 44, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison.  He was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of heroin, and quantities of cocaine. 

In all, three individuals were charged as part of this drug trafficking conspiracy.  Jon Trevor DeBord entered a guilty plea in January 2020 and is scheduled to be sentenced in April 2020.  A third defendant, Robert Louis Gray Osborne, is scheduled for trial in May 2020. 

According to court documents, Rosa-Suarez conspired with at least 12 others to traffic large quantities of crystal ice methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine from Texas and Indiana into Southwest Virginia for redistribution.  In Virginia, the organization operated primarily in Smyth County and the Harrisonburg area from August 26, 2016, through May 25, 2018.  Rosa-Suarez admitted he led the organization to distribute controlled substances in Virginia, Alabama, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, and other jurisdictions.  He also admitted he traveled extensively throughout the United States to acquire drugs for his drug trafficking organization and distribute it to sub-distributors in various jurisdictions, including the Western District of Virginia.  Rosa-Suarez admitted that he conservatively distributed over 33 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6.8 kilograms of cocaine, and 1.1249 kilograms of heroin. 

This case arose from a series of indictments stemming from an ongoing methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy ring operating primarily in the Smyth County, Virginia, area.  In total, 20 defendants have now been charged in connection with the investigation, including seven defendants who have been convicted and sentenced to date. 

The investigation of this case was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bristol, Virginia, with assistance from the Smyth County Virginia Sheriff’s Office.  Numerous other agencies also provided assistance throughout the investigation, including the Drug Enforcement Administration in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Birmingham, Alabama, Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Abingdon, Virginia Police Department, Rockingham County Virginia RUSH Drug Task Force, Rockingham County Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Harrisonburg, Virginia Police Department, Bessemer, Alabama Police Department, Virginia Department of Corrections, Virginia Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Unit, and the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority.  Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Virginia Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Roy F. Evans, who is also Commonwealth’s Attorney for Smyth County, prosecuted the case for the United States.