Alfredo Pena-Lopez, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, Oregon 2023

Alfredo Pena-Lopez, aka Gerionda, 43, of Salem, Oregon, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.

Pena-Lopez led a drug trafficking operation that distributed large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from sources in California and Mexico to customers in the Salem area. He sold methamphetamine in pound quantities, arranging to bring 5 to 10 pounds into Oregon at a time.

Court-authorized wiretaps and surveillance showed that Pena-Lopez stored his methamphetamine in a U-Haul truck parked at an automobile-repair business in Salem operated by one of Pena-Lopez’s seven co-defendants. Pena-Lopez also personally delivered methamphetamine to his customers, including once at a McDonald’s in the Salem area, and once at a Flying J Truck Stop on Interstate 5 near Salem.

At the time of his arrest on federal charges, Pena-Lopez was storing three pounds of methamphetamine, three assault rifles and body armor at the automobile-repair business in Salem, and had $35,000 in cash at his home.

This case was investigated by the Salem office of the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Salem Police Department and investigators from the Oregon Department of Justice. The case was prosecuted by Thomas H. Edmonds and Thomas S. Ratcliffe, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Upon his release from prison, Pena-Lopez, who was in the United States without lawful authority, will be deported. The sentence of 210 months in federal prison is a significant blow to the drug trafficking operation that Pena-Lopez led, and it sends a strong message to those involved in similar activities.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to combating drug trafficking and related crimes in Oregon. The use of court-authorized wiretaps and surveillance was instrumental in gathering evidence and building a case against Pena-Lopez and his co-defendants.

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