June 15, 2005

Contact: Lynn Kimbrough, 720-913-9025 

ELEVEN PEOPLE INDICTED, DRUG RING BROKEN UP

A Denver Grand Jury has handed down a 100-count indictment charging 11 people with a variety of drug possession, drug distribution, money laundering and criminal impersonation charges in addition to four defendants who are charged with violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act (racketeering).

The indictment alleges that these four people were the leaders of a group of people moving and selling large amounts of heroin and cocaine to the Adams County and Denver metro area of Colorado each month:

Jonathan Huerta-Zepeta (DOB: 08-11-85) (He faces 91 counts)

Jose Guadalupe Orozco-Ramirez (aka “Edgar”) (DOB: 11-09-81) (He faces 21 counts)

Jose Manuel Orozco-Ramirez (aka “Juan”) (DOB: 10-28-74) and (He faces 23 counts)

Alejandro Orozco Ramirez (aka “Alex”) (DOB: unk) (He faces 3 counts)

They are each charged with one count of racketeering in addition to other charges for allegedly selling large amounts of cocaine and heroin to undercover officers.  The charges allege that the group was distributing just more than two pounds (a kilogram!) of black tar and Mexican brown heroin and just more than two pounds of cocaine each month.  The street value of drugs being distributed every month totaled about $150,000.

The other defendants are Daniel Raymond Gonzales (DOB: 02-07-45), Laura Jasso-Servin (DOB: 11-17-70), Joanna Savarese (DOB: 09-02-45) Milton Smith (DOB: 12-23-52), Mark Smith (DOB: 10-30-57), David Medrud (DOB: 06-03-53), and Marla Williams (DOB: 01-30-58).  They all face charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and other charges.

A joint undercover investigation over the last year involved investigators and resources primarily from the North Metro Drug Task Force and the Front Range Task Force, with assistance from the Denver Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

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