Jorge Diaz, Cocaine Trafficking, Illinois 2024
A Chicago-area man has been sentenced to over a decade in federal prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking scheme and obstruction of justice.
Jorge Diaz, 35, of Calumet City, Illinois, was convicted last year of conspiracy and attempted possession of cocaine. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed a 124-month prison sentence on February 29, 2024, after finding that Diaz obstructed justice at his trial by perjuring himself about the narcotics trafficking for which he was charged.
According to court documents, Diaz conspired in 2016 with two individuals in Mexico to traffic multiple kilograms of cocaine. Diaz gave money to couriers to purchase the drugs in California and deliver them to him. In a December 15, 2016, transaction arranged by the Mexican traffickers, Diaz received from a courier what he thought was 15 kilograms of cocaine. Unbeknownst to Diaz and the Mexican traffickers, the courier was cooperating with law enforcement agents, who had replaced the cocaine with sham narcotics.
Law enforcement arrested Diaz following the courier's delivery to him of the sham narcotics. A subsequent law enforcement search of Diaz's residence turned up nearly $23,000 in cash, a money counter, a bag full of cell phones, suspected drug ledgers, and other items.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sheila G. Lyons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA. The Cook County Sheriff's Office provided valuable assistance.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
'The streets of Chicago are made immeasurably more dangerous because of the drug trade,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright argued in the government's sentencing memorandum. 'In further aggravation, defendant perjured himself at trial, jeopardizing the integrity of the justice system and demonstrating a willingness to commit further crimes – lying under oath.'
Mandatory Facts:
- Defendant/Respondent: Jorge Diaz
- Criminal Charges: Conspiracy and attempted possession of cocaine
- City and State: Chicago, Illinois
- Exact Date: December 15, 2016 (crime date), February 29, 2024 (sentencing)
- Sentence or Outcome: 124-month prison term
- Dollar Amounts: $23,000
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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