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 sentenced today to 121 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Alex Rodriguez, 35, of Vineland, New Jersey, was previously convicted on an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Rodriguez was convicted following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler, who imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
 
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, diluted pounds of methamphetamine. Two co-conspirators then traveled to Florida seeking to sell five pounds of the newly constituted methamphetamine, where the DEA apprehended them. Rodriguez, meanwhile, remained in New Jersey with the three remaining pounds of high quality methamphetamine. He was later apprehended following an investigation stemming from the arrest of his co-conspirators in Florida.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Kugler sentenced Rodriguez to five years of supervised release.

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 sentencing. He also thanked the Florida Highway Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District, Florida.