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Midwest Drug Ring Leader Found Guilty of Drug Conspiracy and Money Laundering Charges
SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota – A federal jury has found Ray Noel Camacho, a/k/a ‘Pato’, 38, of Nebraska, guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, in a case that has been ongoing for over two years.
The verdict was returned on November 3, 2022, and follows a federal grand jury indictment in August 2021. Camacho, who is currently serving a 31 to 64-year prison sentence for terroristic threats and use of a firearm to commit a felony, faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $10 million fine, life of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
As the leader of a large drug trafficking organization based in the Sioux Falls area, Camacho was responsible for the distribution of at least 120 pounds of methamphetamine, with approximately 70 lbs. seized in South Dakota alone. In May 2019, a traffic stop led to the seizure of 50 pounds of methamphetamine, which was hidden in a spare tire and compartments within the vehicle.
Camacho arranged and orchestrated multi-pound deliveries of methamphetamine from Mexico, using three-way phone calls made from the South Dakota State Penitentiary, which were recorded by the prison and used as key evidence in his trial. He recruited numerous co-conspirators, including current and former inmates and individuals known to them from the outside community, to aid in his organization.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the IRS Criminal Investigation team. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not yet been set. Camacho was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case marks the culmination of a lengthy investigation and prosecution of Camacho and 21 other defendants involved in the drug trafficking organization. As the last defendant to be found guilty, Camacho faces the possibility of life in prison and a significant fine, in addition to a lengthy period of supervised release.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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