A Santa Rosa man is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to his role in a North Bay drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin.
Eutimio Reyna-Ceron, 29, of Santa Rosa, Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco yesterday to charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, distribution of heroin, and money laundering.
Reyna-Ceron’s plea was accepted by the Honorable Vince Chhabria, U.S. District Judge, in San Francisco and represents the twelfth guilty plea accepted by the court in this 20-defendant drug conspiracy case.
In pleading guilty, Reyna-Ceron admitted that he and others operated a drug distribution ring in Santa Rosa, and that they distributed an average of a half-kilogram of heroin per week over a period of at least seven months.
Reyna-Ceron admitted that, at any given time, he had three couriers working for him delivering drugs, and that he and his couriers sold drugs in quantities ranging from a gram to multiple ounces at a time.
The defendant also admitted to laundering the proceeds of those transactions, which amounted to between $2,500 and $3,000 per day.
On July 19, 2017, Reyna-Ceron was charged in a 33-count Superseding Indictment along with 19 other defendants.
For his part in the conspiracy, Reyna-Ceron was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846; seven counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841; one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841; one count of conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h); and ten counts of international money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(B).
Pursuant to yesterday’s plea agreement, Reyna-Ceron pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, distribution of heroin, and money laundering.
Judge Chhabria has scheduled Reyna-Ceron’s sentencing for June 27, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., in San Francisco.
As part of his plea, Reyna-Ceron agreed to a forfeiture money judgment of $1,080,000, which he agreed was an approximation of the amount of proceeds his distribution network received during the period of the conspiracy.
The statutory minimum prison term for the violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), as charged in count one of the superseding indictment, is 10 years’ imprisonment; the statutory maximum for the charge is life in prison.
The maximum statutory penalties for the distribution and money laundering to which Reyna-Ceron has pleaded guilty is 20 years in prison.
However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Eleven of Reyna-Ceron’s co-defendants have pleaded guilty to certain crimes related to the drug distribution and money laundering conspiracy.
Reyna-Ceron’s brother, Marcelino Reyna-Ceron, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs and conspiracy to launder proceeds charges.
Reyna-Ceron’s brother-in-law, Raymundo Doval Duran, pleaded guilty to illegal use of a communications facility in connection with the drug operation.
In addition, Reyna-Ceron’s niece, Elizabeth Reyna-Rodriguez, and two nephews, Marcelino Reyna-Rodriguez and Eutimio Reyna-Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges, and his niece’s husband, Ramon Medina, pleaded guilty to drug charges.
None of these co-defendants has been sentenced.
Sentencing hearings for these defendants will take place in August and September of 2017.
This case was the product of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting transnational organized crime.
Eutimio Reyna-Ceron, Defendant’s Name: Eutimio Reyna-Ceron, Age: 29, City and State: Santa Rosa, California, Charges: Conspiracy to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, distribution of heroin, and money laundering, Date: July 19, 2017, Sentence: Up to 20 years in prison, Fine: $1,080,000 forfeiture money judgment.
Related Federal Cases
- Reginald Glenn Patterson, Drug Conspiracy and Money Laundering, North Carolina 2003 · North Carolina
- Robert Craggs, Methamphetamine and Heroin Distribution and Money Laundering, California 2016 · Alaska
- Thanousone Volarat, Marijuana Distribution and Money Laundering, California 2009 · Washington
- David Lewis McDowell, Money Laundering, California 2023 · Illinois
- Detroit Federal Agents, Money Laundering, Detroit MI, 2024 · Michigan
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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