Fifteen Arrested on Federal Conspiracy Charge in Austin-Based Heroin Distribution Operation

Federal, state, and local law enforcement have arrested 15 individuals, including ringleader 64-year-old Amado Pardo, in connection with an Austin-based heroin distribution operation. A complete list of those arrested is at the end of this release.

That joint announcement was made this morning by United States Attorney Robert Pitman, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Armando Fernandez, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Javier Pena, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo, Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven C. McCraw and Inspector General of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Bruce Toney.

All 15 defendants are charged by a federal grand jury indictment, returned on Tuesday and unsealed today, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. According to the indictment, the defendants conspired since May 2011 to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin. Upon conviction, each defendant faces between 10 years and life in federal prison. The indictment also seeks the criminal forfeiture of the interests of Amado Pardo, and his wife Amanda, in four Austin properties allegedly used to facilitate the drug distribution operation, namely, 404 and 406 Milton Street, as well as 1615 and 1619 South First Street.

Upon conviction of the drug conspiracy count, the defendants face between 10 years and life in federal prison. All of the defendants remain in federal custody at this time.

This investigation was conducted by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Austin Police Department, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of the Inspector General. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Guess.

An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Indicted/Arrested Defendants:

Name Age Residence

Amado Pardo 64 Austin, Texas

Jorge Carrillo

 44

 Lockhart, Texas

Jose Pardo

 68 Austin, Texas

Amanda Pardo 45 Austin, Texas

Tatiana Huang

 25 Austin, Texas

Michael Martinez

 66 Austin, Texas

Alfedo Alvarez

 62 Austin, Texas

David Sosa

 32 Austin, Texas

Lucy Estrada

 62 Austin, Texas

Dionicio Sanchez

 32 Austin, Texas

Chris Mier

 32 Austin, Texas

Terry Ayers

 65 Austin, Texas

Kilpatrick Williams

 46 Austin, Texas

Leah Day

 24 Austin, Texas

Jeffrey Finn

 45 Shenandoah, Texas

Two locals and a Fed

May 17, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two local law enforcement officials and one federal law enforcement official.

Randy Dickinson was a full-time officer with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department (Texas) during the 1970s and 1980s. It was while with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department that he became involved in a fatal shooting wherein he and his partner interrupted an armed robbery. This event provided Randy Dickinson with some of the fundamental insight that led him to teaching and writing about trauma mitigation.

Throughout the 1990s, Randy Dickinson was employed by the Austin Police Department in a non-sworn role within the Crisis Response Unit. The unit provides a broad range of services including crisis intervention, suicide intervention, post-incident support for officers and other first-responders, and services to victims and witnesses. Randy Dickinson is a co-author of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques.

According to the book description of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques, it “continues to provide sound and sober models, protocols, and procedures to handle the highly charged fall-out from officer involved shootings. Written by cops for cops, it is designed to address the needs of the agency, the rights of the employee, and the concerns of the public, and give law enforcement the policies and tools to properly investigate and document this high profile area.”

Neville Cramer served more than twenty-six years as a law enforcement officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). At the time of his retirement in 2002, he was one of the most experienced INS Special Agents in the U.S. Department of Justice. He began his career in 1976, as a U.S. Border Patrol Agent after serving four years as a police officer in Arizona and Florida. After his tour of duty on the Mexican border, Cramer served eight years as both a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent in Chicago, Illinois and Washington D.C. District Offices. Neville Cramer is the author of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis and Immigration Chaos – Solutions to an American Crisis.

According to the book description of Fixing the INSanity – America’s Immigration Crisis, “Former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) special agent Neville Cramer divulges the real causes of America's seemingly uncontrollable immigration problems. He explains the issues, describes common-sense solutions, and shocks the reader with facts about working in the lunacy of the former INS. From the 9/11 attacks to President George W. Bush's Guest Worker Program, Cramer covers it all . . . and then some.”

Kevin Ferguson is a retired Deputy Sheriff Richmond City Sheriff’s Office. He was injured on the job assisting a co-worker. The injury left him with two plates and twelve screws in his right arm; and, six pins in his wrist. Kevin Ferguson is the author of Generosity or Justice.

According to the book description, “This book is based on a true story about a Deputy Sheriff who was injured and wrongly accused of an incident while on duty. Terminated from a 14-year career, he was forced to prove his innocence and clear his name.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 1002 police officers (representing 421 police departments) and their 2113 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Austin to New York

February 25, 2008 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added one police officer from the Austin Police Department and two from the NYPD.

Jimmie Davenport is a 18 year member of the Austin Police Department (Texas). He has spent 14 years in the K9 Unit. His duties have included setting up advanced training within the his K9 Unit for new and experienced handlers. Officer Jimmie Davenport also has been a SWAT K9 for ten years and has helped design the SWAT K9 program currently in use. Officer Davenport has also written K9 training columns for SWAT magazine, Police K9 Magazine and International Police Working Dog Association. Jimmie Davenport is the author of Run, But You Can't Hide.

According to the description of Run, But You Can't Hide, it “is author Jimmie Davenport, Jr.'s, wry advice to criminals faced with apprehension by a police K9. In his more than twelve years a K9 handler, including with a SWAT team, Davenport has found his confidence in his dogs more than rewarded, and his engaging account of his experiences with Stuka and Ammo reveal the training, dedication, and determination that goes into forging an effective K9 team. The drama of the stories he relates is complimented by Davenport's genuine affection for his canine partners, and the detailed narrative he has crafted draws readers into this adrenaline-fueled world, leaving us with a new appreciation for the abilities of those animals trained to assist law enforcement.”

Robert McGuire was appointed commissioner of the NYPD in 1978 and served for almost six years; making him one of the longest serving commissioners during the modern era. Robert McGuire is the author of In the Line of Fire: A Commisioner's Views on Cops and Crime.

Craig Meissner is a sergeant with the New York City Police Department. He worked patrol, as a robber investigator, patrol sergeant and training officer. Sergeant Craig Meissner has written extensively about officer safety issues and is the author of Disguised Weapons: The Law Enforcemnt Guide To Covert Guns, Knives, And Other Weapons.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 859 police officers (representing 383 police departments) and their 1805 police books in 32 categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

Contact Information:
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530