Federal Judge Hands Down 188-Month Sentence to Conroe Man
A 45-year-old Conroe man, Oscar Benitez, has been ordered to serve 188 months in federal prison following his convictions of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to launder money, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez.
Benitez was convicted by a federal jury on November 3, 2016, after a three-day trial and one day of deliberations. The investigation revealed that Benitez was involved in a wide-ranging conspiracy that trafficked large amounts of drugs and used a business he owned to launder large amounts of money from drug sales.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the investigation began in early 2011, when agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Philadelphia seized approximately four kilograms of cocaine from a vehicle that had been driven there from the Houston area. The vehicle had recently been sold by Bensol Auto Sales in Arcola, Texas, a used car dealership owned by Benitez.
Houston agents then discovered that one of their confidential sources had been speaking to Benitez about buying large amounts of cocaine from him and his supplier. Benitez told the individual that he moved large amounts of cocaine (25-100 kilograms at a time) and had a well-connected supplier who could make such large deals happen.
The jury also heard that on June 16, 2011, a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a Ford F-150 pickup truck in Monroe, North Carolina, for a traffic violation. The truck contained 81 kilograms of cocaine. Testimony revealed that the driver, Reuben Orozco-Garcia, had made a deposit of $9,000 into a bank account belonging to Bensol Auto Sales and Benitez the day of the cocaine seizure.
Benitez was previously released on bond but was taken into custody following the sentencing today. He will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. Also charged is Rodolfo Penaloza, 41, of Mexico, who remains a fugitive with an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
The DEA, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arthur R. Jones and Richard J. Magness are prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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