A Sheboygan man was sentenced on Dec. 10 to ten years and four months of incarceration for his role in a scheme to transport illegal drugs from Texas to Wisconsin. He has been accused of leading the Balderas gang in their cocaine and marijuana distribution enterprise. Although he has been in federal custody since May 29, 2013, his trial has only recently been completed.
His conviction for cocaine and marijuana charges was based on extensive evidence gathered and shown in court by the U. S. Attorney’s office. They were able to show in court that he and his organization were conspiring to move five kilograms of cocaine and a metric ton of marijuana.
One of the tactics that the man used was the recruitment of couriers to transport the drugs from the Texas-Mexico border to Wisconsin. He would seek out individuals who he believed would not attract the attention of border patrol officers and loaded their vehicles with fewer than 50 pounds of marijuana. His reasoning was that, many times, when border agents find amounts of drugs under 50 lbs, they simply seize them without pressing charges. The postal service was also used to transport these illegal drugs. Prosecutors claim that in addition to hiring and managing the couriers, the man would divide up and distribute narcotics, launder the profits and pay the salaries of other members of the Balderas gang.
Charges related to the trafficking of illegal drugs can often affect the accused for their entire life. Those who are charged can lose their jobs, and their future career prospects could be affected as well. Those facing drug charges may wish to seek a lawyer to help form a defense or negotiate for lighter sentencing.
Source: jsonline.com, “Drug kingpin gets 10 years in prison for Texas-to-Wisconsin trafficking“, Ashley Luthern, December 10, 2013