| TRENTON - Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that five men have been indicted on first-degree drug charges in two separate indictments as a result of an undercover investigation led by the New Jersey State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration into the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin in Burlington and Ocean counties. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Speed Racer,” was conducted with assistance from the Division of Criminal Justice, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and Ewing Township Police Department.
The Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau obtained the following two state grand jury indictments on Friday, Dec. 5:
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Juan Gutierrez-Valencia, 24, of Pemberton Township, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute (1st degree), conspiracy (2nd degree), unlawful possession of a handgun (2nd degree), possession of a handgun while committing a drug offense (2nd degree), receiving stolen property (handgun) (3rd degree) and possession of a gun with a defaced serial number (4th degree).
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The following men were charged with first-degree distribution of heroin and second-degree conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin:
- Guadalupe Madrigal-Mejia, 35, of New Egypt (Plumsted Township, Ocean County), aka “Lupe,”
- Elias Corona-Sanchez, 30, of North Hanover, aka “Peligro,”
- Juan Mendez, 47, of New Egypt, and
- Antonio Esqueda, 33, of New Egypt.
Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez also are charged with first-degree distribution of methamphetamine, and Madrigal-Mejia, Corona-Sanchez and Esqueda are charged with third-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Deputy Attorney General Julia S. Glass presented the indictment to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice. Detective Sgt. Erik Hoffman was the case agent for the State Police Intelligence Section, Violent and Organized Crime Control Bureau South, Crime Suppression South Unit. He coordinated the investigation with agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski of the DEA’s New Jersey Division.
“Heroin and methamphetamine are devastating drugs that claim and ruin far too many lives across New Jersey,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “We charge that these defendants were major drug traffickers who helped fuel the destructive rise in addiction in our state. The State Police and DEA led an excellent undercover investigation that will enable us to keep these men behind bars for a long time.”
“We will continue to target major narcotics suppliers through multi-agency operations like this one,” said Director Elie Honig of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice. “By locking up these alleged drug traffickers, we have cut off a major supply line of heroin and methamphetamine in South Jersey.”
“The stolen handgun recovered and the aggravated assault against troopers proved that Gutierrez-Valencia would stop at nothing to continue moving large quantities of meth,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the State Police. “This cooperative effort by the State Police and the U.S. DEA has shut down a significant distribution route.”
Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division said, “Heroin and methamphetamine are two drugs that are wreaking havoc in our communities. The arrest of these individuals sends a clear message that DEA and all of our law enforcement partners will continue to work together to keep these dangerous drugs out of our neighborhoods.”
Gutierrez-Valencia was arrested on July 7, 2014 at a hotel on Fellowship Road in Mount Laurel, where he met an undercover detective who allegedly had arranged to purchase two kilograms of crystal meth from him. The undercover detective got into the vehicle driven by Gutierrez-Valencia, who allegedly showed him a black gym bag containing a large amount of methamphetamine. Once he saw the drugs, the detective got out of the car and signaled members of the State Police TEAMS Unit to arrest Gutierrez-Valencia. Gutierrez-Valencia allegedly tried to flee, driving his vehicle toward several troopers. Gutierrez-Valencia suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to his arm when one trooper fired at him. Investigators arrested Gutierrez-Valencia and executed a search warrant for the vehicle, seizing two kilograms of methamphetamine and a stolen 9mm handgun. The police-involved shooting and the related aggravated assault, eluding and resisting arrest charges against Gutierrez-Valencia are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team.
The four defendants in the multi-defendant indictment were arrested on July 8, 2014, at the house where Madrigal-Mejia lived with Mendez and Esqueda on Jacobstown Road in New Egypt. The undercover detective allegedly had arranged to buy two kilograms of black tar heroin from Corona-Sanchez and Madrigal-Mejia at the house for a price of $65,000 per kilo. When Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez allegedly showed the undercover detective the heroin, the detective signaled members of the State Police TEAMS Unit to make arrests and execute a search warrant at the house. Mendez, who allegedly had supplied the two kilograms of heroin, was arrested in a vehicle outside the house. Esqueda was arrested in his bedroom, where investigators found a quantity of cocaine. Other quantities of cocaine, some packaged for distribution, were discovered in the kitchen and in hall closets. A digital scale, a heat sealer and packaging materials were found by investigators in common areas of the house.
Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez are charged with first-degree distribution of methamphetamine in connection with an undercover purchase of one-half kilogram of crystal meth that the undercover detective made on May 2, 2014 outside a convenience store on Route 130 in Florence. The drugs were delivered to the detective by an unnamed co-conspirator, who allegedly delivered the purchase price of $15,000 to Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez, who were parked nearby.
Each of the first-degree charges carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for the heroin charge and $300,000 for the methamphetamine charges. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, and the second-degree gun charges carry a mandatory minimum term of parole ineligibility equal to one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed or 3 ½ years, whichever is greater. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The five defendants are Mexican nationals and would be subject to deportation if convicted, after serving any sentence imposed.
The indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The indictments were handed up to Superior Court Judge Pedro J. Jimenez Jr. in Mercer County. The Gutierrez-Valencia indictment was assigned to Burlington County, and the multi-defendant indictment was assigned to Ocean County.
The indictments are posted with this press release at www.njpublicsafety.com. #### |
