News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2003

Siblings Sentenced To Federal Prison For New Bedford Heroin Conspiracy

Boston, MA….A major drug dealer, his sister, and her two boyfriends were sentenced late yesterday in federal court for their roles in a heroin conspiracy based in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Arthur J. Kelly, III, Chief, New Bedford Police Department; Joseph Galasso, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; Colonel Thomas Foley, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Thomas M. Hodgson, Bristol County Sheriff; Paul F. Walsh, Bristol County District Attorney; and United State Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, announced that MARK RAMOS, age 27, his sister JAYMIE RAMOS, age 29, BUENAVENTURA LOVOS, age 26, and HECTOR YULFO, age 26, all formerly of New Bedford, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Patti B. Saris to terms of imprisonment ranging from 24 to 188 months.

MARK and JAYMIE RAMOS, and HECTOR YULFO pleaded guilty on November 12, 2002 to a conspiracy to distribute heroin, and to multiple charges of distribution and possession of heroin, pursuant to an eighteen-count federal indictment. At today's sentencing MARK RAMOS, the leader of the group, was sentenced to 188 months' imprisonment JAYMIE RAMOS, whose sentence was enhanced because of her supervisory role, was sentenced to 63 months in prison. LOVOS, who was convicted on November 15, 2002 of heroin possession and conspiracy charges, after a three-day jury trial before Judge Saris, was also sentenced to 63 months. YULFO was sentenced to 24 months.

At the sentencing hearing Judge Saris found that MARK RAMOS was responsible for distributing between one and three kilograms of heroin between February 2000 and November 2001. Judge Saris found that LOVOS, who was JAYMIE RAMOS' boyfriend before his arrest in March 2000, was more culpable as a processor of heroin than JAYMIE RAMOS' subsequent boyfriend, YULFO who merely assisted MARK and JAYMIE RAMOS on occasion.

Also as part of his sentence, MARK RAMOS agreed to forfeit a Chinese restaurant in New Bedford that he had purchased with the proceeds of his heroin trafficking.