BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Following an 18-month investigation concentrating on native felony road gangs in Bakersfield, 12 defendants have been charged federally and one other 17 defendants have been arrested on state costs. The costs embody drug trafficking, conspiracy, and firearms offenses.
Seized within the operation have been 13 firearms, over 15,000 suspected fentanyl capsules, roughly 990 grams of fentanyl, roughly 10 kilos of methamphetamine, roughly 7 kilos of heroin, roughly 112 kilos of marijuana , and over $60,000 in U.S. foreign money.
“At present’s announcement is the results of a coordinated federal, state, and native legislation enforcement motion, and I commend all of our companions for his or her laborious work on this case,” mentioned U.S. Lawyer Phillip A. Talbert. “It’s exactly this type of coordinated effort that permits us to most successfully defend our communities and maintain gang members accountable for his or her crimes.”
“The continued assist of the US Lawyer’s Workplace and our federal companions is a key ingredient in really impacting violent and lethal felony exercise in our neighborhood,” mentioned Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry. “We’ll proceed these collaborative investigations to carry those that victimize our neighborhood accountable.”
“The Kern County Sheriff’s Workplace is grateful for the cooperation we’ve got with all of the legislation enforcement companies within the County of Kern,” mentioned Sheriff Donny Youngblood, “These excellent relationships enable us to work collectively on the mission of taking unlawful medication off the streets to make it a safer place for all of the residents and guests of our nice county.”
“The success of yesterday’s operation represents one other necessary stride in our ongoing effort to fight gang-related crime within the Central Valley and all of Northern California and likewise highlights the significance of legislation enforcement partnerships throughout the spectrum,” mentioned HSI San Francisco/NorCal Particular Agent in Cost Tatum King. “I’m happy with our brokers’ exhaustive investigative work in bringing these topics to justice. HSI will proceed to work intently with Bakersfield PD and all of our different native, state, and federal legislation enforcement companions to dismantle these harmful felony enterprises and maintain their members accountable for his or her flagrant disregard for the legislation.”
Kern County District Lawyer Cynthia Zimmer mentioned, “Congratulations to all our legislation enforcement companions on their efforts on this operation which will definitely disrupt felony road gangs and their distribution of narcotics.”
The federal defendants charged embody:
William Arthur Poush, 43, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Rosa Fernandez, 43, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Timothy Robert Hingston, 39, of N. Hollywood, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Spencer Matthew Hopper, 35, of Montrose, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Dale Vincent Perez, 39, of Bakersfield, charged with possession with intent to distribute a managed substance and conspiracy to own with intent to distribute a managed substance;
Dale Wesley Hubbard, 49, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Darlene Crystal Viera, 40, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Manuel Yanes, 25, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Jorge Luis Yanes, 28, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance and conspiracy to distribute a managed substance;
Luis Mauricio Castenon, 33, of Bakersfield, charged with distribution of a managed substance; and
David Garcia, 35, of Bakersfield, charged with possession with intent to distribute a managed substance and felon in possession of a firearm.
Bryan Steven Reyes, 28, of Bakersfield , charged with distribution of a managed substance.
These circumstances are the product of an investigation carried out by Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), the Bakersfield Police Division, the Kern County Probation Division, the Kern County District Lawyer’s Workplace, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Workplace, with help from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the California Freeway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Lawyer Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the circumstances.
If convicted, the defendants face numerous most sentences between 10 years and life in jail and $250,000 to $10 million in fines. Any sentence, nonetheless, can be decided on the discretion of the court docket after consideration of any relevant statutory components and the Federal Sentencing Pointers, which keep in mind a lot of variables. The costs are solely allegations; the defendants are presumed harmless till and except confirmed responsible past an inexpensive doubt.
This effort is a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Job Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level felony organizations that threaten the USA utilizing a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency method. Further details about the OCDETF Program will be discovered at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is a part of Challenge Secure Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing collectively all ranges of legislation enforcement and the communities they serve to cut back violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everybody. On Could 26, 2021, the U.S. Division of Justice launched a violent crime discount technique strengthening PSN primarily based on these core ideas: fostering belief and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that assist stop violence from occurring within the first place, setting centered and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the outcomes.