Baltimore, MD – In a major blow to the cocaine trade in Maryland, Luis Lopez, a 40-year-old North East resident, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison for his role in a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation.
According to investigators, Lopez was part of a conspiracy that imported and distributed cocaine from Puerto Rico to the northeastern Maryland and southern Delaware areas. The group used fake addresses and the U.S. Postal Service to smuggle the illicit substance.
The investigation, which began in 2015, revealed that Lopez and his co-conspirators would send suspicious parcels through the mail, often with fake addresses. On February 20, 2015, investigators seized a parcel containing 250 grams of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico to North East, Maryland. Another parcel, intercepted on May 2, 2015, contained 135 grams of cocaine.
Lopez was arrested on September 3, 2016, after a traffic stop revealed he had a quantity of cocaine on him. A search of his phone revealed text messages with co-conspirators discussing the price of cocaine and tracking information for a parcel sent to a P.O. Box in Bear, Delaware.
The search of Lopez’s residence on September 22, 2016, turned up loose pills in plastic baggies and $11,806 in cash. Lopez’s co-conspirators have all pleaded guilty and been sentenced to varying prison terms.
The group’s sentences include: Troy Baker, 28, of North East, Maryland, who was sentenced to 38 months; Leroy Fuentes, 30, of North East, Maryland, who was sentenced to 30 months; Roy Fuentes, 26, of Newark, Delaware, who was sentenced to 24 months; Dahan Lopez, 37, of Elkton, Maryland, who was sentenced to 60 months; Angel Padilla, 29, of Elkton, Maryland, who was sentenced to 42 months; Eileen Perez, 39, of New Castle, Delaware, who was sentenced to 18 months; Fernando Lopez, 40, of New Castle, Delaware, who was sentenced to 60 months; and Nadja Velez, 31, of Elkton, Maryland, who was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day.
Luis Lopez, age 40, of North East, Maryland, has been sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for Conspiracy To Distribute And Possess With Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning.
This case is a testament to the hard work and dedication of law enforcement agencies in Maryland and Delaware. The investigators and prosecutors in this case have worked tirelessly to dismantle the cocaine trafficking operation and bring Lopez and his co-conspirators to justice.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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