California Man Gets 18 Years For Selling Crystal Meth In Stoneham

The following press release was sent to Stoneham Patch via The Office of U.S. Attorney Carmen M Ortiz:

BOSTON – A California man was sentenced today for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in New England and laundering the drug proceeds in bank accounts.

Adolfo Castilleja, 55, formerly of Pomona, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 18 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine.

In March 2015, Castilleja pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, conspiring to launder money, and three counts of money laundering.

From January 2010 through January 2012, Castilleja, who was based in California, supplied methamphetamine to a co-defendant based in Stoneham, Mass.

Specifically, Castilleja obtained methamphetamine from a California-based supplier and worked with his son to package and ship the narcotics in overnight packages to addresses on the East Coast.

Five packages containing more than 1.3 kilograms of nearly 100% pure methamphetamine that were shipped by Castilleja from California to the East Coast were seized by law enforcement officials.

Overall, Castilleja and his organization were involved in the shipment of more than 100 packages from addresses near Pomona, Calif. to locations on the East Coast affiliated with co‑conspirators. In addition, Castilleja provided instructions for structured cash deposits of more than $900,000 in drug proceeds into California-based bank accounts that he controlled.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Michael J. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and William P. Offord, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston, made the announcement today.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linda M. Ricci and Michelle Wasserman of Ortiz’s Drug Task Force Unit.

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