News Releases and Statements

U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Gabriel Allen Pelz, 44, after a May 18 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug crime. Pelz will serve 188 months in confinement and a six-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City Joshua Armstrong and Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Dallas Faamausili, 36, of Renton, Washington, was sentenced to more than five years in prison Thursday in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Oscar Sun Acuna, Jr., 36, of Tucson, Arizona, additionally forfeited a .40-caliber handgun and ammunition. Acuna previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death in connection with the overdose death of a young woman in May 2020.

On Dec. 1, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Gabriel Anthony Pena, 26, of Corpus Christi, Texas, to serve to 260 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. In determining the sentence, the court found that Pena’s role was that of an organizer or leader, as he had recruited another person to transport narcotics from the Rio Grande Valley to Corpus Christi.

On Nov. 28, a federal judge sentenced Gerardo Jimenez, 31, of Pharr, Texas, to serve up to 188 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

Austin Kober, 24, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced to a term of 228 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine following a joint HSI and law enforcement partner investigation.

Robert Williams, 52, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced to a term of 144 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Raymond L. Moreno, 37, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) and 120 months in prison for one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), following a joint HSI and law enforcement partner investigation.

Gail Hostetter, a 54-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, was sentenced in the Southern District of Texas to serve two years in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release for knowingly and intentionally possessing and attempting to provide methamphetamines to an inmate. Hostetter pleaded guilty to the charges July 21.

Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Katherine Greer and Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Robert Williams, 52, of Hastings, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 144 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Edwin Francisco Cubillas, 27, of Mexico, was indicted Oct. 25 for his attempt to enter the United States through the San Luis, Arizona, port of entry, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 16 packages containing circular, blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl hidden in Cubillas’ car. The packages’ combined weight exceeded 71 pounds.

Legusta Juaquim Rodan, 54, of De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, pleaded guilty Aug. 1, and was sentenced Nov. 8, by a federal judge to serve up to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Rodan engaged in a pattern of conduct in narcotics trafficking as opposed to being caught up in a one-time event.

Jose Adame Jr., a 44-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty Tuesday in the Southern District of Texas to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.

On Jan. 8, 2020, Hector Diaz Perez and Abel Perez Valdivia were traveling east on Interstate 80 in Buffalo County when they were stopped by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper for driving onto the shoulder of the road twice. The two gave conflicting stories about their travel.

Kimberly Hansen, 58, of Sioux City, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

HSI and the United States Attorney’s Office recently announced the creation of, and first case brought by, the newly formed Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, CBP, the DEA, and the FBI. FAST’s mission is to identify and disrupt distribution networks in San Diego County that are responsible for fatal and non-fatal overdoses.

Joel A. Duran, 53, was sentenced Oct. 20 to 135 months confinement for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Gabriel Joseph Bustamante, 43, was sentenced Sept. 28 to 17.5 years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of firearms. He will also be on a five-year supervised release program following the completion of his prison sentence.

Keivin Crosswell-Cervantes, 28, of Mexico; Carlos Alberto Castro-Ruiz, 27, of Avondale; and Alexander Ortega-Islas, 22, of Phoenix, had their initial appearance on Sept. 23, before United States Magistrate Judge Eileen S. Willett.

Carlos Martin Quintana-Arias, of Mexico, admitted to driving the drug-laden tractor trailer into the United States through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. He acknowledged that he knew the tractor trailer contained methamphetamine, fentanyl, or some other federally controlled substance.

Richard Orlinski “Sugar” Sanchez, 44, was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to various drug, weapons and money laundering charges, following an investigation by HSI. The DEA, USMS, the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force, the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force, and IRS participated in the case.

Manuel Moya, 28, was sentenced in the Southern District of Texas to 25 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Moya was convicted on July 27 of possessing a firearm as a felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Jose Duenas-Topete, 29, from Hawarden, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

Antonio Montes, a 55-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, pleaded guilty Wednesday in the Southern District of Texas to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamines.

According to evidence presented at trial, Nameer Mohammad Atta, of San Diego, sold counterfeit “M30” pills in April and May 2020 to the Marine, identified in court records as C.M.R., knowing that these pills are counterfeit oxycodone pills that contain illicit fentanyl.