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Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Southern District of Iowa

For Immediate Release

Thursday, December 21, 2017
Marc Krickbaum
, United States Attorney
Contact: Rachel J. Scherle

Twenty Individuals Sentenced for Involvement in Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Organization

Des Moines, Iowa – On December 21, 2017, sentencings were completed in the federal prosecution of twenty defendants charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, obstruction, firearms, and immigration offenses stemming from the investigation of a multi-state drug trafficking organization, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. This investigation began in March 2016 and revealed the organization was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, and marijuana in the Des Moines area. Subsequent investigation consisted of controlled narcotics purchases from the organization and the execution of over twenty search warrants of residences located in Des Moines, Colorado, and California in September 2016. All defendants charged in this investigation pleaded guilty and were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.  Jacinto Loza Gil, 48, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 292 months

  • Jonathan Escareno Chavez, 28, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 210 months
  • Gumaro Escareno Chavez, 33, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 90 months
  • Jairo Escareno Chavez, 27, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 71 months
  • Heriberto Escareno Chavez, 34, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 108 months
  • Dennis Ugarte, 28, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 46 months
  • Mujo Becirovic, 26, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 73 months
  • Israel Morales Flores, 33, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 63 months
  • Jose Manuel Cano Basurto, 43, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 37 months
  • Basman Danuvio Urbina Caceres, 42, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 100 months
  • David Coos Tello, 49, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 24 months
  • Hugo Plaza Garcia, 19, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of time served (4 months)
  • Lee Anthony Flores Escareno, 27, sentenced to a term of probation of five years
  • Jimmy Oswald Kiapas Hidalgo, 28, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 24 months
  • Antonio Salazar, 48, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of time served (15 months)
  • Helen Mariela Osorio Ventura, 22, sentenced to a term of probation of four years
  • Oscar Corea Holt, 21, sentenced to a term of probation of three years
  • Miguel Flores Torres, 39, sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 8 months
  • Steven A. See, 31, sentenced to a term of probation of three years

This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, with significant assistance of numerous state and local agencies, including Des Moines Police Department and Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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