Carlos Pavon, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroi…

A Dayton man has been convicted of conspiring to bring large quantities of heroin into the Miami Valley.

Carlos Pavon, 42, an illegal alien from Honduras, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, a crime punishable by at least ten years and up to life in prison.

The verdict was handed down late Friday, October 7, following a trial that began October 4 in U.S. District Court before Judge Walter H. Rice.

According to court testimony, task force officers investigating a lead provided by law enforcement officials in California questioned Pavon and two other men at a Dayton hotel in November 2014. Agents searched a car connected to them at the hotel and found two loaded semi-automatic handguns and items often involved in weighing and repackaging heroin. A drug dog sniffed the car and indicated the presence of illegal drugs.

Task force officers took the car to the Fairborn Police Department and found five bricks of heroin, a total of more than 2.5 kilograms, hidden in the frame of the car. Officers arrested the three men on a federal complaint, and they have been in custody since their arrest.

U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the federal, state, and local agencies involved. ‘We continue to work with law enforcement agencies to reduce the supply of heroin in our region,’ Glassman said. ‘Hidden compartments or ‘traps’ are a common method used by drug traffickers and officers receive constant training on detecting these traps.’

A grand jury indicted Pavon along with Amilcar Antonio Cortez Grande, 32, an illegal alien from El Salvador, and Mario Felix, 45, Spring Valley, California in December 2014. Grande and Felix pleaded guilty before Judge Rice in May 2015 to conspiracy and firearms charges. Grande was sentenced in November 2015 to 90 months in prison. Sentencing is pending for Felix.

As an illegal alien, Pavon faces deportation after he serves time in prison. Judge Rice will schedule a sentencing hearing for Pavon. The case is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies in the region to dismantle heroin trafficking operations.