Meth Supplier in Cross-Country Meth Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Shipped Nike Hightops Stuffed with Meth from California to Prince George’s County

GREENBELT, MD—U.S. District Judge Roger W. Titus sentenced Alfred “JJ” Buensalida, age 27, of Suisun City, California, today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine (meth).

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Chief Mark A. Magaw of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

According to court documents and evidence presented at his May 2012 jury trial, Buensalida, a California-based meth supplier, conspired with Mark Anglo, Jason Yaranon, and others to distribute meth in the Prince George’s County area between 2009 and 2010. On six occasions, Buensalida sold four to eight ounces of methamphetamine to Anglo with Yaranon’s assistance. Anglo then re-distributed the narcotics to customers and distributors in Maryland, primarily in Prince George’s County. In total, Buensalida was responsible for conspiring to distribute approximately 28 ounces of methamphetamine.

For example, on June 10 and 11, 2010, FBI agents intercepted text messages between Anglo and Yaranon in which Anglo arranged to ship cash from Maryland to Yaranon in California, in order to purchase eight ounces of meth from Buensalida. On June 11, 2010, Yaranon text messaged Anglo with the tracking number for the package, shipped to Maryland, containing the meth. A Prince George’s County detective and his K-9 partner intercepted the package at the shipping facility in Landover, Maryland. Inside the package, FBI agents found a Nike shoe box with black and red Nike hightop shoes with a plastic bag of meth stuffed in the toe of each shoe.

To date, 12 co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to their participation in the wide-ranging meth distribution conspiracy in related cases. These defendants include Mark Anthony Anglo, age 31, of Waldorf, Maryland, who was sentenced to 37 months in prison; and Jason Yaranon, age 34, of Brentwood, California, who will be sentenced in federal court in Oakland, California, on October 15, 2012.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the multi-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Adam K. Ake and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marisa Chun of the U.S. Justice Department, who prosecuted this case.