Alleged Leader of North Bay Meth, Heroin Network Jailed

NORTH BAY, CA -- A man who's believed to be the leader of an organization that supplies heroin and methamphetamine to drug dealers has been arrested, police say.

Artemio Sandoval-Rivera, 28, was arrested Feb. 1 in Sonoma County for possession for sales of heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana in violation of his probation for possession of drugs in 2013. He was previously convicted in Lake County where he was in possession of seven pounds of methamphetamine, Sgt. Rich Celli said.

The arrest is part of a 10-month investigation by Santa Rosa police of a heroin and methamphetamine sales and distribution network by a group of people and family members in the North Bay, Celli said.

The group has been supplying mid-level heroin dealers with substantial quantities of heroin and methamphetamine on a weekly basis, Celli said.

Police searched Sandoval-Rivera's two residences on Burt Street and Ironstone Circle in Santa Rosa and found nearly five pounds of methamphetamine, three and a half pounds of heroin, five pounds of marijuana
and $24,000 cash, Celli said.

Artemio Sandoval-Rivera's brother, Ulises Sandoval-Rivera, 31, of Santa Rosa was arrested in January near the Kawana Elementary School for sales of heroin and methamphetamine, Celli said. Ulises Sandoval-Rivera was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in April 2016, Celli said.

Police also arrested Miguel Angel Gallegos Barbosa, 28, of Santa Rosa in November for possession of heroin and methamphetamine, and Robert Carroll, 50, of Santa Rosa, for possession of heroin and methamphetamine for sales in January.

Bay City News contributed to this report/Image via Shutterstock