United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CAMDEN, N.J. - Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, and Paul J. Fishman, U. S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey announced a Cumberland County, New Jersey, man was convicted today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
 
Alex Rodriguez, 33, of Vineland, New Jersey, was convicted on an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in Camden federal court. The jury deliberated less than four hours before returning the guilty verdict.

According to the indictment and the evidence at trial:

Rodriguez conspired to broker a deal in which four pounds of high quality methamphetamine were sold for $100,000 in Millville, New Jersey. On behalf of a co-conspirator, who bought the drugs, Rodriguez cut one pound of the purchased drugs to create four additional pounds of methamphetamine. Two conspirators then traveled to Florida seeking to sell five pounds of the newly constituted methamphetamine, where the DEA apprehended them.

The conspiracy charge on which Rodriguez was convicted is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of life in prison.
 
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlantic City office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski; the DEA’s Orlando office; and the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict. He also thanked the Florida Highway Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District, Florida.
 
The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel Vincent Grady O’Malley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernard J. Cooney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division.