Chesapeake Man Sentenced for Cocaine Dealing

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man who served as a middleman for a Honduran cocaine trafficker has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Joseph Jesus Grullon, 26, of Chesapeake, pleaded guilty on January 6, 2017. According to court documents, Grullon resided with his mother and her boyfriend, German Alvarado Ponce, who led a drug trafficking organization in the South Hampton Roads area. Ponce, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, was unable to communicate with English-speaking customers. Grullon facilitated drug transactions by making phone calls and arranging deals.

On July 15, 2014, law enforcement uncovered that Grullon had arranged a sale of 4.5 kilograms of cocaine with Kenneth Bell of Portsmouth. Following the transaction, authorities seized approximately 3.6 kilograms of powder cocaine, 394 grams of cocaine base, and $194,000 in cash from Bell’s residence.

Grullon’s sentencing follows that of his co-defendants: Janette Elena Cruz Miller received an 18-month sentence, German Alvarado Ponce was sentenced to 240 months, Kenneth Bell received a 120-month sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Karl C. Colder of the DEA Washington Field Division, Chesapeake Chief of Police K.L. Wright, and Portsmouth Chief of Police Tonya D. Chapman announced the sentencing by U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

For more information and related court documents, visit the websites of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, or search PACER using Case No. 2:16-cr-101.

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