GREENBELT, Md. – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced William Reyes Garcia, aka “Will,” 33, of Silver Spring, Maryland, yesterday to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine as well as being a felon in possession of ammunition.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Division; Chief Marcus Jones of the Montgomery County Police Department; and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to Reyes Garcia’s plea agreement and other court documents, between September 2020 and January 2022, Reyes Garcia and his co-conspirators participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed at least five kilograms of cocaine. Based on chats, phone calls and other intercepted communications and evidence, Reyes Garcia was a manager or supervisor of the DTO.
As detailed in the statement of facts, during the investigation four packages containing approximately 15.65 kilograms of cocaine were seized by law enforcement. The packages were shipped from Brownsville, Texas, to an address associated with the DTO, Business 1 in Beltsville, Maryland. Reyes Garcia’s fingerprints were obtained from one of the lids on the cocaine containers in the packages. Law enforcement identified three additional packages, which investigators believe also contained narcotics, that were sent to Business 1 and to a co-conspirator’s residence. Tracking information obtained from the shipping company revealed that an IP address associated with Reyes Garcia tracked the seized packages containing cocaine as well as the additional packages. In October 2021, law enforcement seized an approximately two-kilogram package of cocaine that was sent to Reyes Jr. Intercepted communications following the seizure allegedly showed that this package of cocaine was intended for distribution by the DTO.
Search warrants were executed at locations associated with Reyes Garcia’s residence on January 20, 2022, and law enforcement recovered more than 139 grams of cocaine and more than 101 kilograms of marijuana; a privately manufactured 9mm semi-automatic handgun, commonly known as a “ghost gun;” a magazine loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition; 53 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition; 42 rounds of .45-caliber ammunition; 50 rounds of .380-caliber ammunition; firearms parts, including a frame, slide, barrel, barrel spring and magazine; and drug paraphernalia, including digital scales with drug residue and a money counter.
Reyes knew that he had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Co-defendants Fabricio Alexis Rivera, aka “Breeze,” 32, of Rockville, Maryland, and Rodney Ricky Rivera, aka “Rodney,” 29, of Beltsville, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Fernando Josue Garcia, aka “Nando,” 32, of Glenn Dale, Maryland, and Noel Reyes Jr., aka “June,” 30, of Bowie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and were sentenced to 63 months and 72 months in federal prison, respectively. Charges remain pending against three other co-defendants.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI, the DEA, the Montgomery County Police Department and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland State Police, the ATF, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy and their offices for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Crespo and Elizabeth Wright, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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