2 men sentenced to federal prison for cocaine smuggling
4:20 PM Fri, Dec 12, 2008 | Permalink
Email
 |
 |
Projo 7 to 7 News BlogTaking the news pulse of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, by Providence Journal and projo.com staff, from 7 to 7, every business day |
|
Get the 7 to 7 on your mobile at www.projo.com. Twitter: projo | RSS | Email alerts
« Channel 12, sister Fox station laying off employees |
Main
| Update: Cranston: Flooding forced some street closings »
PROVIDENCE -- Two men have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in smuggling cocaine that authorities say was headed to Rhode Island. In U.S. District Court in Providence, Judge William E. Smith yesterday sentenced Omar Altamarino-Nunez, 31, to 151 months in prison and Idelfonso Betancourt-Rodriguez, 29, to 51 months for their roles in smuggling 29 kilograms of cocaine, according to a news release today from U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente's office. Federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents and Massachusetts State Police seized the cocaine in May 2007 from an SUV near Springfield, Mass., after the drugs had been unloaded off a truck from California. In connection with the cocaine smuggling, Judge Smith previously sentenced Adolfo Verdugo, 41, of California, to 150 months in prison, Rafael Fernandez-Roque, 30, to 120 months, and Juan Manuel Casillas, 55, of California, to 48 months. A jury in April found Verdugo and Fernandez-Roque guilty of cocaine trafficking. The U.S. Attorney's office said evidence showed that Verdugo owned the truck and drove it, loaded with produce and cocaine, from California to Massachusetts, and that Fernandez-Roque, Altamarino-Nunez and Betancourt-Rodriguez drove from Providence to the Springfield area to pick up the cocaine. Altamarino-Nunez and Betancourt-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to their roles in the smuggling, and Casillas pleaded guilty to money laundering. Prosecutors Mary E. Rogers said in court that evidence from the Drug Enforcement Administration showed that in May 2007, Altamarino-Nunez arranged to meet Verdugo to pick up a cocaine shipment. Verdugo told Altamarino to meet him "where the Simpsons live," which the U.S. Attorney's office said was a coded referenced to Springfield. ("The Simpsons" TV cartoon characters live in a fictional Springfield). Altamarino-Nunez recruited Fernandez-Roque and Betancourt-Rodriguez, and the three drove from Providence in two vehicles, one a Jeep Cherokee. At a rest area north of Springfield on Route 91, the Cherokee was parked between two tractor-trailer trucks, then left after about a minute. Massachusetts State Police and DEA agents stopped the Cherokee, seized a black bag containing bricks of cocaine, and arrested Betancourt and Roque. Under questioning by agents at the rest stop, Verdugo asserted he was simply delivering produce from California in his truck. He was allowed to leave, but in July 2007, Newport Police Detective Michael S. Naylor, who was assigned to the DEA Task Force, flew to California and arrested Verdugo. In November 2007, Altamarino-Nunez pleaded guilty to two conspriacy counts and to illegally reentering the United States from Mexico. April this year, a jury found Roque and Verdugo guilty of conspiracy. Casillas pleaded guilty this February to conspiracy to launder money. Evidence showed Altamarino- Nunez arranged in December 2006 to deliver a truck containing $129,000 in cash to Casillas, who was to drive the truck to California, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. But Rhode Island State Police seized the truck and the cash. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney 
CommentsLeave a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
Tags 
New comments
New photos
New posts
Projo blogs
Archives
That happens everyday of the week.....They just got caught with a small shipment. (29 kilos is small to them) The other shipments probebly went through no problem, and thats just one dealer. There are hundreds of them sending thse little shipments all over the country. That trickles down to the street dealers and then the junkie on the street who has to break into your house or steal your car or rob your kid on the street for his I-Pod or his cell phone to buy more. Whats the answer? I would guess get help for what we have and some high intinesity enforcement, maybe attacking source countries and maybe getting ICE on board for I'm sure most of the big guys are illegal immigrants and that might cause a problem with the ACLU. They like to protect those guys.
Report Abuse