Federal Grand Jury Indicts Eight in Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

Some Defendants Also Faces Firearms Charges

LUBBOCK, Texas — A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment late today charging eight defendants with felony offenses stemming from their respective roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña of the Northern District of Texas.

Each of the following defendants is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine:

Natividad Gumaro Lopez-Guzman, 47, of Arizona

Flor Angelica Bustillos, 27, of Arizona

Gregorio Hernandez-Perez, a/k/a “Francisco Hernandez” and “Primo,” 27

Jesus Adrian Murillo-Angulo, a/k/a “Chavalon,” 20

 Michael Alvarado Garcia, 41, of Lubbock, Texas

Haylie Nicole Moreno, 25, of Lubbock

Edward  Adam Rodriguez, 22, of Lubbock

Brianna Lee Mendoza, 22, of Lubbock

In addition, Hernandez-Perez is charged with one substantive count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and two substantive counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Hernandez-Perez is also charged with two firearms offenses:  one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

Garcia and Moreno are also each charged with one substantive count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Rodriguez and Mendoza are also each charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine and three firearms.  All of the defendants, with the exception of Bustillos, are in custody.

A federal indictment is an accusation by a grand jury and a defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty.  If convicted, each faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in federal prison and a $10 million fine.  

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Lubbock Police Department; Abilene Police Department; Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol; Clovis, New Mexico Police Department; Curry County, New Mexico Sheriff’s Office; Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department; New Mexico State Police, and the Maricopa County, Arizona HIDTA group are investigating.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Cunningham is in charge of the prosecution.

'Fugitive of the Week' Arrested and Bailed in Massachusetts

Concord, NH – Yesterday, Fugitive of the Week, Shantel Demand, was arrested in Salisbury, MA. Demand, 23, who was last known to live in Amesbury, MA, was being sought on an outstanding arrest warrant issued in September of 2013. The NH State Parole Board issued an arrest warrant for Demand for violating her conditions of parole. Demand was on parole after being convicted and sentenced for burglaries.

As part of the U.S. Marshals fugitive investigation, Demand was featured as the “Fugitive of the Week” on October 31st. The “Fugitive of the Week” is broadcast on WTPL-FM, WMUR-TV, The Union Leader, The Nashua Telegraph, The Patch, Foster’s Daily Democrat and is prominently featured on the internet. The “Fugitive of the Week” has been a very successful tool that has resulted in the location and arrest of numerous fugitives since its implementation in 2007.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in both NH and MA both actively worked on this investigation and distributed Demand’s wanted poster to numerous local police departments. These efforts paid off yesterday when an officer from the Salisbury Police Department encountered Demand. Demand was arrested and charged as a fugitive from justice. Due to Demand being pregnant, bail was set at $1000 and she was released, pending a court appearance today in a Newburyport District Court. It is hopeful that Demand will surrender to authorities in NH as directed by the Massachusetts District Court Judge.

Since the inception of the New Hampshire Joint Fugitive Task Force in 2002, these partnerships have resulted in over 5,523 arrests. These arrests have ranged in seriousness from murder, assault, unregistered sex offenders, probation and parole violations and numerous other serious offenses. Nationally the United States Marshals Service fugitive programs are carried out with local law enforcement in 94 district offices, 85 local fugitive task forces, 7 regional task forces, as well as a growing network of offices in foreign countries.

Lac Du Flambeau Man Sentenced for Oxycodone Distribution

MADISON, WIS. -- John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ronald Peterson, 53, Lac du Flambeau, Wis., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman to 21 months in federal prison for distributing oxycodone in April 2013. Peterson pleaded guilty to this charge on May 20, 2014.

During an investigation conducted by state and local law enforcement, investigators made multiple purchases of oxycodone pills from Peterson at his home in Lac du Flambeau in April 2013. On April 25, 2013, police executed a search warrant at Peterson’s home, recovering a stash of additional oxycodone pills. Peterson admitted to police that he would obtain and sell some of the pills in order to support his own use of the drug.

The charge against Peterson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation; Vilas County Sheriff’s Department; Lac du Flambeau Police Department; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Anderson.

Spring Valley Felon Sentenced to 54 Months for Illegally Possessing Shotgun & Revocation of Supervised Release

MADISON, WIS. -- John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Michael V. Pierce, 40, Spring Valley, Wis., was sentenced to a cumulative 54 months in federal prison following two federal court hearings yesterday. First, Pierce appeared before U.S. District Judge Lynn S. Adelman, who sentenced Pierce to 42 months for possessing a firearm in January 2014 while a felon.

Pierce pleaded guilty to this offense on May 20, 2014. Judge Adelman noted that the defendant had been involved in a violent domestic dispute before retrieving the loaded shotgun and indicated that a prison term was necessary to deter Pierce from committing additional crimes and to protect the community.

At the time Pierce illegally possessed the firearm described above, he was on federal supervised release following 2002 federal convictions for firearm and drug offenses. Yesterday, Pierce also appeared before U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to address Pierce’s violations of his supervised release conditions. In addition to the January 2014 firearm offense, Pierce stipulated to using drugs and failing to attend drug treatment sessions.

Judge Conley revoked Pierce’s supervised release and imposed a 12-month sentence for the violations, to run consecutively to the sentence imposed by Judge Adelman.

The charge against Pierce was the result of an investigation conducted by the Spring Valley Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea.

Two Rupert Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to Prison

POCATELLO – Lloyd Elmo Gale, 53, and Linda Rae Westmoreland, 51, both of Rupert, Idaho, were sentenced to federal prison today for trafficking methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gale was sentenced to serve 87 months imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Gale to forfeit cash proceeds in the amount of $100,000. Gale pleaded guilty on May 28, 2014, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Winmill sentenced Westmoreland to serve 36 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Westmoreland pleaded guilty on April 23, 2014, to one count of distributing methamphetamine.

Gale was found to have distributed just under 100 grams of pure methamphetamine, while Westmoreland distributed approximately 74 grams of pure methamphetamine. Gale, a convicted felon, also sold two stolen firearms to a confidential informant. A third co-defendant, Jose Rosario Juarez, has a scheduled change of plea hearing on August 27, 2014.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police.