Texas Man Found Guilty of Cocaine Trafficking

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — In a grim turnaround of events, a Texas man has been found guilty for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine across Michigan. Jaime Valente Pina, Jr., 24, of Alamo, was sentenced today after a jury convicted him of conspiring to distribute the illegal substance.

Pina, along with Angel Pina and Magdaleno Rodriguez, were indicted in February 2017 for their part in trafficking cocaine and other related offenses. The conspiracy, which began in 2015, saw Rodriguez, a dealer in Oceana County, brought into the loop by Jaime Pina as a new supplier. For over a year, the brothers transported cocaine from Texas to Michigan, where it was redistributed.

The operation came crashing down in August 2016 when authorities executed a search warrant on Rodriguez’s home following undercover buys. The Pina brothers were arrested months later after a raid in Ravenna, Michigan.

While Angel Pina and Rodriguez pleaded guilty before trial, receiving sentences set for June 2017, Jaime Pina Jr. faced the jury. He was cleared of being an innocent migrant worker and sentenced to be sentenced on August 30, 2017. The brothers face up to 20 years in prison, with Rodriguez’s mandatory minimum at five years.

The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations, was a collaborative effort involving two state task forces. Assistant United States Attorneys Joel S. Fauson and Timothy P. VerHey are handling the prosecution of this high-stakes case.

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