News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 17, 2005

Northbridge Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Charges

Worcester, MA... A Northbridge man was convicted late yesterday in federal court on
federal drug offenses.

Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
in New England and United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan , announced that
CARLOS ESTEVEZ, age 37, formerly of 83 Short Street, Northbridge, Massachusetts, pleaded
guilty before U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor to one count of conspiracy to distribute over
50 grams of cocaine base, and three counts of distributing crack cocaine. Cocaine base is more
commonly known as "crack" cocaine.

At yesterday’s plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to
trial, the Government’s evidence would have proven that from September 2003 through February
2004, ESTEVEZ distributed over 50 grams of crack cocaine in Worcester and Northbridge,
Massachusetts. During that time period, the DEA’s HIDTA task force made three separate crack
cocaine purchases from ESTEVEZ and his girlfriend, Elys Garcia. ESTEVEZ acted alone in
the first two deals, negotiating the purchase price and subsequently distributing the crack cocaine
in the Chandler Street area of Worcester. ESTEVEZ arranged the third deal by telephone and
sent his girlfriend, Garcia to distribute the crack cocaine in Northbridge, Massachusetts. On each
occasion, DEA agents were able to witness and record the drug transactions.

Judge Saylor scheduled ESTEVEZ's sentencing for June 9, 2005, at 3:00 p.m.
ESTEVEZ has been in custody since his arrest on April 14, 2004 and faces a minimum
mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years, and a maximum term of life, to be followed by 5
years of supervised release, and a $4 million fine. ESTEVEZ, a native of the Dominican
Republic, also faces immediate deportation proceedings following the completion of his
sentence.

Elys Garcia, age 23, formerly of 83 Short Street, Northbridge, Massachusetts, pleaded
guilty in federal court to conspiring with ESTEVEZ to distribute over 50 grams of cocaine base.
She is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton on April 22,

2005 at 3:00 p.m. Garcia, also native of the Dominican Republic, faces a minimum mandatory
term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum term of life, to be followed by 5 years of
supervised release, a $4 million fine and immediate deportation proceedings following the
completion of her sentence. Garcia has been in custody since her arrest on April 14, 2004.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Task
Force in Worcester, with the assistance of the Worcester and Northbridge Police Departments.