LEADER OF BALTIMORE CRACK COCAINE CONSPIRACY AND HIS WIFE EACH SENTENCED
TO 10 YEARS OR MORE IN FEDERAL PRISON
Husband and Wife Team Ran Drug Distribution Ring in Fells Point
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC at 410-209-4885
November 2, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/md


Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Andre M. Davis sentenced Humberto Gasca, age 35, of Baltimore, and his wife Josefina Quinonez, age 41, of Aurora, Colorado today to 160 months and 120 months in prison, respectively, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Judge Davis enhanced Humberto Gasca’s sentence upon finding that he is a career offender based on prior convictions for robbery and distribution of narcotics and based on his leadership and supervisory role over 15 other defendants in this case. Fourteen defendants have pleaded guilty.

According to their guilty pleas, from November 2005 through December 2006, Humberto Gasca was a supervisor and supplier of drugs to a number of individuals, including his wife, Josefina Quinonez, who distributed cocaine and crack cocaine in Baltimore. Gasca obtained the drugs from sources in Colorado and Baltimore. Quinonez would deliver crack cocaine to drug customers and assist Humberto Gasca and others in the crack sales. During the course of this one-year investigation, government informants purchased over 1.25 kilograms of crack cocaine from members of the drug conspiracy, who operated from bars and locations in Fells Point and Southeast Baltimore. According to court documents the Gasca family sold multiple kilograms of powder and crack cocaine during the time of the conspiracy. Members of the organization also manufactured and sold hundreds of false driver’s licenses, social security cards, and Alien Registration documents. Agents executed several search and seizure warrants in December, 2006, upon the arrest of the defendants, and recovered kilograms of cocaine, drug scales, money, and hundreds of fraudulent identification documents.

Co-defendants Maria Quinonez, age 35, of Baltimore was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for conspiracy to transfer false identification documents, and Jonathan Sanchez, age 34, of Baltimore, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison at his sentencing on January 11, 2008 at 12:00 p.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Baltimore City Police Department for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kwame J. Manley and Stephanie A. Gallagher, who are prosecuting the case.