Federal Indictment Charges Four Men for a Drug Distribution Conspiracy Involving Cocaine, Heroin and Fentanyl

 Includes a Forfeiture Allegation for a 9mm Handgun and Ammunition

Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging four men for a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.  The indictment was returned on August 11, 2021.  The defendants were arrested on a related criminal complaint on August 10, 2021.  Charged in the indictment are:

Pedro Luis Ramos-Diaz, a/k/a “Rafael Antoni Regalado-Jiminez” and “Angel Diaz,” age 38, of
   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Nelson Antonio Serrano-Munoz, a/k/a “Victor Santiago,” age 36, of Landover, Maryland;
Erick Vonsander, a/k/a “Erick Vonsander-Jimenez,” “Julio Alcantara,” and “Eddie Vonsander,”
   age 54, of Chillum, Maryland; and
William Calderon, age 43, of York, Pennsylvania.

The indictment was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Department of Police; Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department; Chief Robert J. Contee III of the Metropolitan Police Department; Colonel Robert Evanchick, Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police; Commissioner Danielle Outlaw of the Philadelphia Police Department; and Commissioner Michael Muldrow of the City of York, Pennsylvania Police Department.

According to the indictment and related court documents, law enforcement obtained information that between December 2020 and about August 10, 2021, Vonsander was allegedly supplying cocaine to a confidential source for approximately $1,400 per ounce.  As detailed in the affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, further investigation revealed that Ramos-Diaz, Serrano-Munoz, and Calderon were also part of the conspiracy.

If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  Vonsander, Serrano-Munoz, and Calderon each had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt on the criminal complaint.  Vonsander was detained; Serrano-Munoz was detained pending a detention hearing on August 13, 2021, and Calderon was released under the supervision of U.S. Pre-Trial Services.  Ramos-Diaz is expected to have his initial appearance on August 13, 2021.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. 

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.    

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DEA, the Montgomery County Department of Police, the Prince George's County Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the City of York Police Department for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin B. Pulice and Rajeev R. Raghavan, who are prosecuting the federal case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.