News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2006

Six are guilty in two-kilogram cocaine conspiracy

A federal jury in Providence has found Domingo A. Gonzales, 21, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, guilty of a two-kilogram cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Five other defendants have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy, in which Drug Enforcement Administration agents interrupted a deal in progress at a Providence house and seized two kilograms of cocaine that Gonzales and another man had just transported from Lawrence.

June W. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England and United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced the guilty verdict, which the jury returned yesterday after about five hours of deliberation and a four-day trial before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ernest C. Torres in U.S. District Court, Providence.

During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein presented evidence that, in December 2005, DEA agents monitored conversations in which Alejandro Pujols, 36, discussed selling kilogram weights of cocaine to Waskar Pena, 31, of Providence. Pena also discussed the transaction with Cornelio Ozorio, 25, of Providence. In the conversations, cocaine was called “confetti” and kilograms of cocaine “girls.”
On December 11, agents observed Eduardo Garcia, 35, of Providence, arrive at a Gallatin Street house where Pena lived and which agents suspected of being the initial destination of the cocaine. Eduardo Garcia stayed at the house during that afternoon while agents monitored activities there.

Later, Pujols arrived at Pena’s house, after which the two left in Pena’s minivan and drove to Elmwood Avenue, where Gonzales and Christopher Garcia, 34, of Methuen, Massachusetts, were waiting in a Lincoln Town Car. The Town Car followed the minivan back to Pena’s house on Gallatin Street and the four men went inside. Later, Ozorio arrived at the house.

A short while later, as Ozorio was leaving, agents converged on the house to execute a search warrant and, while they were doing a pat-down search of Ozorio outside the house, a kilogram package of cocaine fell from under his coat.

In the basement of the house, agents seized another kilogram package of cocaine, which had been cut open for testing. Next to it was a heat sealer, which was on. Assistant U.S. Attorney Goldstein said the evidence suggested that the agents had interrupted the cocaine deal as it was transpiring. Agents also seized from the house a digital scale, $1,240 in cash, and five cellular telephones. They seized a .22 caliber pistol and about 97 grams of cocaine from a hidden compartment in the Town Car in which Christopher Garcia and Gonzales had arrived and about 162 grams of heroin from a car belonging to Pena.

Agents arrested all six defendants, including Gonzales, whom they found hiding under a pile of rubbish in the basement.

The jury found Gonzales guilty of two charges: conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. It found him not guilty of two additional charges: another count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in connection with a drug-trafficking crime.

Pena, Pujols, Ozorio, Eduardo Garcia, and Christopher Garcia pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Christopher Garcia pled guilty to an additional count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and Pena also pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

Conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine (all defendants), possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine (all defendants), and possessing with intent to
distribute 100 grams or more of heroin (Pena) each carries a penalty of five to 40 years imprisonment and a $2,000,000 fine. Possessing with intent to distribute cocaine (Christopher Garcia) has a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine. All six defendants are detained in federal custody, awaiting sentencing.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.