Six Indicted for Drug Trafficking in San Joaquin County and Elsewhere

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment Thursday against Jorge Omar Arredondo Garcia, 44, of Lodi; Gregorio Ontiveros Verdugo, 39, of Morada; Jose Manuel Ontiveros Verdugo, 37, of Stockton; Alberto Navarro Zapata, 36, of Stockton; and Wilfredo Reyes, 48, of Manteca; charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of heroin, and unlawful use of a telephone, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between July 2019 and December 2019, the defendants conspired with each other and with others to distribute methamphetamine. During the investigation, an undercover source bought a total of 11 pounds of methamphetamine and a half pound of heroin from this drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement interdicted the group’s shipments of 50 pounds of methamphetamine destined for Nebraska, as well as a 21‑pound shipment destined for Pennsylvania.

This investigation also resulted in the indictment of Robert Godinez, 50, of Hayward, who was pulled over on a traffic stop after buying methamphetamine from a former member of this conspiracy. A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Godinez today, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin and unlawful use of a cellphone. Two pounds of methamphetamine and approximately a half pound of heroin were found in his vehicle.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Borders Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Joaquin County Probation, the Stockton Police Department, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.