Marshall Man Convicted in Cocaine Conspiracy

February 3, 2010 - ALEXANDRIA, VA—Alejandro Hernandez, 39, of Marshall, Virginia, was convicted by a federal jury in Alexandria of conspiring to traffic cocaine in Great Falls, Va. Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Willie Brownlee, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Colonel David Rohrer, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by United States District Judge Claude M. Hilton.

Hernandez was convicted of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 23, 2010.

According to court documents and evidence at trial, Hernandez was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that transports cocaine across the Mexican border into the United States, including into Virginia. On Sept. 3, 2009, Hernandez and three co-conspirators transported a kilogram of cocaine from Fauquier County to Fairfax Country, where they were arrested as the Hernandez stood lookout during the sale of the cocaine to a confidential informant.

In addition, evidence at trial showed that after his arrest, Hernandez attempted to threaten and intimidate potential witnesses to prevent them from cooperating with law enforcement and to prevent them from testifying at trial.

Others charged in the conspiracy include:

• Uriel Evencio Sandoval-Covarrubias, 24, of Marshall, Va., who is a fugitive based on the criminal complaint on Oct. 23, 2009.

• Aquiles Fuentes Ordas, 32, of Manassas, Va., who pled guilty on Dec. 22, 2009, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2010.

• Danis Francisco Romero Lopez, 24, of Manassas, Va., who pled guilty on Dec. 23, 2009, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2010.

This case is being investigated by the ATF and the Fairfax County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Pedersen and Special Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Owings are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.