CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Eight members of a drug trafficking ring operating in and around Union County were handed down sentences ranging from 30 to 300 months in prison today, announced William T. Stetzer, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina and the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Atlanta Field Division, which oversees the DEA Charlotte District Office.
According to court filings, plea documents, and statements made in court, the eight defendants are members of the Garcia Family Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO). Over the course of the investigation, which began in April 2019, the defendants operated as a drug conspiracy and trafficked narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, in Union County and surrounding areas and involving the seizure of more than 16 kilograms of methamphetamine. The eight defendants were sentenced as follows:
Elio Garcia Godinez, 32, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 300 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Ivan Jardon Trujillo, 48, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 156 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Ivan Trujillo Garcia, 23, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 87 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
Eleonel Castrejon Garcia, 24, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
Estefani Garcia Sandoval, 26, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Luis David Bravo, 47, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 60 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Miguel Benitez Castrejon, 40, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced to 97 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Matilde Isaias Cruz Portillo, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the DEA, the Monroe Police Department and the Union County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation which led to today’s outcome. Acting U.S. Attorney Stetzer also noted the assistance provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement & Removal Operations and the Wadesboro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erik Lindahl of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justhinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com, www.campusdrugprevention.org and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv.
