Joaquin R. Ortega, Drug Trafficking, North Carolina 2017

Raleigh, North Carolina – In a significant blow to Wilmington’s underworld, Joaquin R. Ortega, 36, of Graham, North Carolina, has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his role in a major crystal methamphetamine trafficking operation.

According to a five-count indictment issued by the grand jury for the Eastern District of North Carolina on January 12, 2017, Ortega was charged with multiple counts of drug trafficking and firearm offenses related to the distribution of crystal methamphetamine.

Between 2015 and 2016, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted a thorough investigation into the activities of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated primarily in Virginia and North Carolina.

The DTO was known to distribute large quantities of crystal methamphetamine through multiple distribution points in both states. On September 22, 2016, the DEA and local law enforcement ordered five pounds of crystal methamphetamine from a member of the DTO who lived in Alamance County, North Carolina.

When the ordered methamphetamine was being delivered, law enforcement observed Ortega and four other individuals in separate vehicles meet the undercover informant in a parking lot before completing the deal. Ortega and the other four individuals were subsequently arrested.

At sentencing, the Court found that Ortega was the leader of the DTO responsible for supplying and distributing large quantities of crystal methamphetamine throughout the Southeastern United States.

Ortega was sentenced to 252 months imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release. The case was brought by the United States Attorney’s Office in partnership with the Clayton Police Department, Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brad Knott. The Eastern District of North Carolina has made significant strides in combating the opioid epidemic and this sentence is a testament to their commitment to justice.