DALLAS - Marisol Carmona Arreola Avalos, 43, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced this morning before U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey to 216 months in federal prison following her guilty plea in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.
Avalos’ husband, Jose Apolinar Arreola Avalos, pleaded guilty in June 2017 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance, said substance being 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance and was sentenced by Judge Godbey in October 2017 to 324 months in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement factual resume, from Sept. 25, 2015 and continuing through March 18, 2016, Marisol and Jose Avalos cooked and cleaned methamphetamine obtained from Mexico at a Post Oak Road residence in Wilmer, Texas. In order to maximize the amount of money that was being made through the sale of the methamphetamine they cooked and cleaned the methamphetamine so that it would look as white and clean as possible. Marisol and Jose Avalos were paid by co-defendant, Domingo Arreola Avalos, for their work.
Marisol Avalos was provided with drug proceeds to purchase acetone, strainers, and materials to store the methamphetamine so that, once it was cleaned, it could be sold to other people in Texas and other parts of the United States. Marisol Avalos used some of the drug proceeds to pay phone bills, propane gas bills, and electric bills. The gas and electric bills were paid to maintain the house and area where the methamphetamine was cooked. The phone bill was paid so that she and Jose Avalos could communicate with other codefendants and drug couriers who were dropping off the liquid methamphetamine to be cleaned.
On March 18, 2016, according to the plea agreement factual resume, the Dallas Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence of Marisol and Jose Avalos. As a result of the search, agents seized approximately 172 kilograms of a combination of crystal and liquid methamphetamine, firearms, and several thousand dollars in United States Currency.
Marisol Avalos agreed to forfeit 2 firearms, $20,055 in US Currency and $274,469 in U.S. Currency seized from Domingo Arreola Avalos.
The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Dallas Police Department and IRS Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
