Nine Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracy

ANCHORAGE—United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that nine people have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage for felony drug trafficking and money laundering crimes.

Named as defendants in the four-count indictment are Anchorage residents Jose Manuel Noyola-Martinez, also known as “Scooby,” 30; Jonathan Manuel Santana, also known as “Flip,” 25; and Carlos Olivares, 39. Also charged are California residents Adan E. Barragan, also known as “Lalo,” 27; Antonio Loera Isidro, also known as “Tomato,” 24; Jair Rios Romero, also known as “Goofy,” 26; Armando Montano-Morales, 38; Albaro Rivera Garcia, also known as “The Dude,” 26; and Juan Carlos Rubio-Maldanado, 27.

All of the defendants except Isidro and Romero are presently in custody in either Alaska or California.

According to the indictment, the alleged conspiracy operated between Southern California and Alaska from 2007 to February 2011. The charges contained in the indictment allege that the defendants participated in a drug distribution conspiracy involving methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana sent to Alaska from California, and a separate money laundering conspiracy involving the proceeds of the drug trafficking activity in Alaska transferred back to California through financial transactions.

In addition to the drug trafficking and money laundering charges, the indictment includes criminal forfeiture allegations relating to almost $250,000 in cash seized by law enforcement officers in Anchorage in 2010, and approximately another $675,000 which was laundered back to California as proceeds from the distribution of the drugs in Alaska.

Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Attorneys Stephan Collins, Joseph Bottini, and Yvonne Lamoureux, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison, as well as fines totaling up to $4 million and a life term of supervised release following service of a prison sentence. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, the Anchorage Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.