Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, a 52-year-old from Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to leading a drug trafficking organization in the Eastern Panhandle. Luna Mota, known as "Papi," used his business in Hagerstown as a central location for selling significant quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Berkeley County.
During court proceedings, it was revealed that Luna Mota played a leadership role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is handling the prosecution of this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation involved several agencies, including the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Other agencies included the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Virginia Air National Guard, and the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. Multiple police and sheriff's departments, along with various state and federal offices, contributed to the comprehensive investigation.
This case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF aims to identify, disrupt, and dismantle serious criminal organizations posing threats to the United States through a coordinated, prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach. More details about the OCDETF program are available at the Department of Justice website.
The proceedings were overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi.
