United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that two Sioux Falls, South Dakota, men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Juan Antonio Garcia, Jr., age 32, and Byron Alexander Perez, a/k/a Kelvin Aquino, age 34, were indicted on April 2, 2019. Garcia appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on April 10, 2019, and Perez appeared before Judge Duffy on April 24, 2019. They both pled not guilty to the Indictment during their arraignments.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 40 years in federal prison and/or a $5 million fine, life of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The Indictment alleges that on beginning at an unknown date and continuing to on or about January 7, 2019, both Garcia and Perez knowingly and intentionally combined, conspired, confederated, and agreed together, and with others, to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charge is merely an accusation and Garcia and Perez are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara P. Nash is prosecuting the case.
Both Garcia and Perez were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial, which has been set for June 18, 2019.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
