New York Pair Sentenced for Cocaine Conspiracy in Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Vanessa Velez, 51, and Felix Mendez, 44, both of New York, New York, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for conspiring to possess and distribute bulk amounts of powder cocaine shipped from El Paso, Texas, to Philadelphia.

The defendants were charged by indictment in January of this year. In August, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine, and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine.

As detailed in court filings, Velez and Mendez traveled together to Philadelphia with a duffel bag containing approximately $325,000 in U.S. currency. On October 29, 2024, in a South Philadelphia parking lot, they exchanged the cash-filled bag for two other duffel bags, which they believed contained cocaine. The defendants then drove away.

Shortly thereafter, Philadelphia police stopped the defendants’ Range Rover in the area of 59 E. Oregon Avenue. Both Mendez and Velez were detained, and investigators recovered the two bags containing the “sham” kilograms of cocaine.

Velez was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000. Mendez to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Philadelphia Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf praised the hard work and dedication of the investigators and prosecutors who worked on this case. “The sentencing of Velez and Mendez sends a clear message that we will continue to hold accountable those who engage in large-scale cocaine trafficking in our communities,” he said.

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