United States Drug Enforcement Administration

(SAN FRANCISCO) – A federal grand jury indicted Gino Carl von Eckstein yesterday for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine announced Acting United States Attorney Alex G. Tse; Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Chris Nielsen; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett; and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Tara Sullivan. 

According to the indictment and other court documents, Eckstein, 25, of Brisbane, California., was arrested on June 15, 2018, after federal agents executed search warrants on his car and three residences he allegedly was using.  At the first residence, on Fifth Avenue in San Francisco’s Richmond District, agents allegedly found more than 200 grams of orange pills.  In the second residence, in Brisbane, California., agents allegedly found cash, orange powder, and a whiteboard with a “to do” list for drug trafficking.  At the third residence in San Leandro, agents allegedly found over 80 grams of additional pills, over 110 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine, two pill presses, punches, and dies.  In the car, a Honda Civic parked near the Brisbane residence, agents allegedly found over 650 grams of orange pills.  The pills looked to be Adderall pills, but tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine

In total, agents allegedly found over 1,000 grams of suspected methamphetamine.  The indictment charges Eckstein with one count of intentionally possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
 
An indictment merely alleges that a crime has been committed and von Eckstein, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  Eckstein currently is in custody; his next court appearance is scheduled for June 29, 2018, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim for arraignment.  If convicted, Eckstein faces a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a possible maximum lifetime in prison.  In addition to a prison term, the court may order fines, forfeiture, and an additional term of up to a lifetime of supervised release, however, any sentence following conviction will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence.

Assistant United States Attorney Sheila Armbrust in prosecuting this case.  This case is the result of an investigation by the DEA, HSI, FBI, and IRS-CI, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department.  This case was investigated and prosecuted by member agencies of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a focused multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force investigating and prosecuting the most significant drug trafficking organizations throughout the United States by leveraging the combined expertise of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.