A chilling case that spanned the globe has finally come to an end, with Joseph Hunter, a former member of the U.S. Army, being sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to murder a DEA agent and a DEA informant.
On February 13, 2015, Hunter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and a DEA informant, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “The sentencing of Joseph Hunter, an admitted contract killer, convicted drug trafficker, and ringleader of trained assassins, ends another chapter in a chilling criminal case that spanned the globe. Hunter and his cohorts turned from serving their countries as soldiers to becoming mercenaries for hire, plotting to kill a DEA agent and informant and trafficking in massive quantities of cocaine.”
According to the Indictment and Superseding Indictments filed against Hunter and co-defendants Timothy Vamvakias, Dennis Gogel, Slawomir Soborski, and Michael Filter, all five defendants previously served in the armed forces of their respective nations.
Hunter, who served in the U.S. Army between approximately 1983 and 2004, was a sniper instructor and a senior drill sergeant, training other soldiers in marksmanship and tactics. Vamvakias, Gogel, Soborski, and Filter were also trained as snipers.
Hunter’s crimes were committed in 2013, when he recruited Vamvakias, Gogel, Soborski, and Filter to serve as security for a Colombian drug trafficking organization and to perform contract killings.
On March 21, 2013, Hunter and his co-defendants were sentenced to 20 years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy.
As a result of his conviction, Hunter will serve 20 years in prison, bringing an end to a chilling case that spanned the globe. The DEA’s outstanding investigative work brought these soldiers of fortune to justice, and they have met their rightful fate.
Related Federal Cases
- Frank Hunter, Drug Conspiracy, New York 2019 · Utah
- Carlos Javier Figueroa, Murder, Drug Trafficking, New York 2023 · New Hampshire
- Marcus Ricketts, Murder, New York 2022 · Alabama
- Irvin Cartagena, Narcotics Conspiracy, New York 2024 · Puerto Rico
- Elijah Bilal, Murder and Witness Tampering, New York 2012 · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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