Fourteen members of a major drug organization trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl in Charlotte, NC. On December 20, 2023 the suspects were sentenced to various years in prison after being convicted or pleading guilty.
A two year undercover investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration helped catch the suspects.
From 2017 to 2022, the defendants were members of a large drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and other narcotics in and around the Charlotte area.
Information presented in court shows that the drug trafficking organization had ties to and was directly supplied from the Sinaloa and CJNG latino drug cartels.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the multi-agency investigation into the drug trafficking organization included court authorized wiretaps, undercover purchases of narcotics, extensive surveillance, and the execution of dozens of search warrants.
All of the aforementioned led to the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, including approximately 328 kilograms of cocaine, 26 kilograms of fentanyl, and a kilogram of heroin.
In addition to the narcotics, law enforcement seized more than $2.4 million in cash drug proceeds from the drug trafficking organization.
Also seized were 60 firearms, 18 high capacity magazines and ammunition, over $300,000 in jewelry, two residences, ten vehicles, a boat, and two tractor trailers with hidden compartments for smuggling narcotics.
United States District Judge Robert Conrad sentenced the 14 defendants as follows:
• Salvador Barrera Jr., 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 24 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
• Ricardo Johnathan Gomez, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
• Johnny Lane Owens Sr., 46, of Albemarle, North Carolina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
• Isaac Sandoval, 31, of Salisbury, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
• Adrian Christopher Solares, 33, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
• Luis Raymundo Macias-Robles, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
• Norberto Macedo Jr., 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 95 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
• Derek Duane Crump, 42, of Albemarle, was sentenced to 77 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
• Christian Alexander Hernandez, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 74 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
• Erik Perales, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
• Jesus Adrian Perales, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
• Janquil Josselyn Jackson, 30, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
• Christok Alexander Mata, 21, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
• David George Jansen, 45, of Indian Land, South Carolina, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
