San Jose Meth Trafficker Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

SAN JOSE, CA — A San Jose man was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and related charges, U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson announced Wednesday.

A federal jury convicted Alejandro Ramirez-Suarez, 38, of the charges in a five-day jury trial last August.

According to the evidence submitted at the trial, Suarez was a distributor in a methamphetamine trafficking network operating in the San Jose area in 2013 and 2014. Specifically, co-defendant Juan Cervantes Aguilar provided crystal methamphetamine to Suarez, who distributed the product to his own customers, as well as Cervantes’s customers, the Department of Justice indicated.

The evidence further demonstrated that Suarez assisted Cervantes in other ways. For example, Suarez procured acetone for use in the crystal methamphetamine manufacturing process, and wired money to other co-conspirators in Mexico, the DOJ added.

A federal grand jury indicted Suarez on April 14, 2016, charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy H. Koh ordered Suarez to serve a five-year period of supervised release. Suarez has been in custody since the Aug. 17 conviction and will begin serving his sentence immediately.

Cervantes pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Sept. 20, 2017. On April 4, 2018, the judge sentenced Cervantes to serve 13 years in prison to be followed by a 5-year period of supervised release.

The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the federal Drug Enforcement Agency under the direction of Special Agent In Charge Chris Nielsen.