Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Michael Ray Acosta, an inmate at Pleasant Valley State Prison in California, has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in a drug distribution scheme within the prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced the sentence on Monday.
Court documents reveal that between May 23 and August 27, 2021, Acosta used a contraband cellphone to organize drone deliveries of drugs and other contraband into the prison. The operation involved co-conspirators Joshua Gonzalez, Jose Oropeza, Rosendo Ramirez, and David Ramirez Jr., who flew drones over the prison to drop packages. These packages contained methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, cellphones, and accessories.
Acosta's case is part of Operation Night Drop, a multi-agency investigation aimed at addressing increasing drone incursions over prisons. Five individuals have been federally charged as a result of this operation.
Jose Oropeza is due for sentencing on July 28, 2025, while David Ramirez is scheduled to plead guilty on the same day. Joshua Gonzalez and Rosendo Ramirez are expected in court on June 11, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is leading the prosecution.
This case falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. OCDETF aims to identify and dismantle high-level criminal organizations posing threats to the United States through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies. Further details about OCDETF can be found at Justice.gov/OCDETF.
