Drug-ring case sentencing soon

  • <br>Enterprise staff
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 11:25am

A husband, wife and sister are headed for prison for running a cocaine and heroin drug ring in North King and South Snohomish counties, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle.

Another six people from Shoreline, Edmonds, Poulsbo and Stanwood are scheduled to be sentenced in early 2007. All have entered guilty pleas. 

Jose Galindo-Zurita, 35, of Seattle, his wife, Juana Garcia-Rodriguez, 24, of Gresham, Ore., and her sister, Jade Medina-Parra, 19, of Seattle, were sentenced Friday, Dec. 1 by U.S. District Judge Ricardo Martinez.

Galindo-Zurita was sentenced to 10 years in prison and must forfeit approximately $330,000 and a 2006 Silverado SUV to the government. Garcia-Rodriguez and Medina-Parra received 18-month sentences.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, arrests in the case were made in early morning raids in June following a lengthy court-authorized wiretap investigation.

Galindo-Zurita was heard making drug deals over the phone and directing “runners” to deliver the drugs. Between September, 2005, and April, 2006, on at least 13 separate occasions, Galindo-Zurita negotiated the sales of a total of nearly 2,000 grams of heroin to an undercover detective.

After her arrest, Garcia-Rodriguez, admitted she walked into a Renton car dealership with $40,000 of drug proceeds in a paper bag to purchase the Silverado SUV. Medina-Parra was a drug and money delivery driver in the drug conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Judge Martinez noted that drug conspiracies such as this one “are not able to succeed without people to launder the money.”

The remaining defendants and their sentencing dates are:

• Marcella Rodriguez-Zurita, 33, Edmonds, to be sentenced Jan. 19;

• Karen Creech, 47, Shoreline, to be sentenced Jan. 5;

• Rhonda Schweitzer, 48, Edmonds, to be sentenced Jan. 5;

• Jeffrey David French, 45, Edmonds, to be sentenced Jan. 19;

• Mary Handy, 37, Stanwood, to be sentenced Feb. 16.

• Terry Todd Raymond, 45, Poulsbo, to be sentenced Jan. 12.

The drug organization was the subject of a lengthy investigation including undercover drug purchases, and court-authorized wiretaps.  Investigators monitored thousands of calls where drug dealers and customers spoke in code, ordered drugs, tested drugs for ring leaders, and arranged drug sales to others.

In the course of the investigation of this and a related drug ring, law enforcement arrested a total of more than 20 people, seized several pounds of heroin, more than five kilos of cocaine, 200 grams of meth, 14 vehicles (two equipped with hidden compartments) and as much as $400,000 in cash.

The case was investigated by agents and officers of the DEA, the South Snohomish County Narcotics Task Force, which includes detectives from the cities of Edmonds, Lynnwood, and Mountlake Terrace, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department, as well as the state Department of Corrections, and the Washington State Patrol. 

The investigation was also assisted by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Marshal’s Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Vogel.

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