HOUSTON - A 34-year-old Houston resident has been handed a significant sentence for his role in a meth distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Abril Pineda-Ortiz aka Carlos Raudel Pineda-Ortiz pleaded guilty May 13, 2021.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Pineda-Ortiz to serve a 130-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court found that Pineda-Ortiz was the source of supply in transactions involving significant amounts of meth. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the devastating effects that meth has had on people and communities.
To date, more than 30 people have been convicted in the related drug conspiracies involving meth, cocaine and heroin. With the sentence today, 20 have now been sent to prison.
“These traffickers will pay with their freedom," said Hamdani, “to the tune of a combined sentence of more than 2000 months in federal prison for infecting our communities with hundreds of kilograms of meth, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin."
“The success of these investigations and the corresponding sentences serve as an example of the impact multiple agencies can have when they join forces," said Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “This operation dismantled the activities of a dangerous criminal organization that was responsible for smuggling and distributing hundreds of pounds of illicit narcotics throughout the State of Texas. The DEA will continue to focus our resources on drug trafficking organizations that oversee, coordinate and facilitate the distribution of illegal drugs in our communities."
At the time of the plea, Pineda-Ortiz admitted she supplied meth in multiple drug transactions involving co-conspirators Juan Carlos Salinas, 41, and Crystal Lynn Harrold, 42, both of Houston.
Authorities also executed a search warrant at the residence of Pineda-Ortiz where they found and seized a firearm, an additional 1,857 grams of meth and drug sale paraphernalia.
The investigation into these three individuals began in 2015. Over the next two years, law enforcement was able to execute operations aimed at curtailing the organization’s sale of meth, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.
As a result of the investigations, law enforcement seized 82.3 kilograms of meth, 16.4 kilograms of fentanyl, 176.7 kilograms of marijuana, 83.9 kilograms of cocaine, 31 kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of GHB as well as $586,706.61 in assets.
The combined sentences in the related cases thus far have exceeded 2000 months in federal prison with several receiving sentences well in excess of 10 years. One was ordered to serve 222 months.
The DEA conducted the initial investigations along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI; police departments in Houston and Huntsville; sheriff’s offices in Fort Bend and Harris counties; and Texas Department of Public Safety.
The subsequent DEA-led Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations were dubbed Operation Goody Two Shoes and Beverly Hills 90210.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad Khandelwal, Carolyn Ferko and Michael Day are prosecuting the cases.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys