U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert has revealed that an indictment filed on February 16, 2023, has been unsealed, charging four defendants with a plot to utilize drones for delivering drugs and other restricted items into state prisons.

Indictment Details

Based on court documents, Michael Ray Acosta allegedly used an illicit cellphone to arrange several deliveries of restricted items via drones into Pleasant Valley State Prison and other prisons in the state between January 1 and December 10, 2021. Jose Enrique Oropeza, Rosendo Ramirez, and David Ramirez Jr. are said to have piloted the drones over the prisons and dropped packages of contraband into the facilities. Subsequently, Acosta and his associates would retrieve the smuggled items for distribution to other inmates within the prison population. The packages contained various illicit items, including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, cellphones, cellphone accessories, butane oil, and other items.

Acosta’s co-conspirators took measures to evade detection and interception by prison officials. They organized drone drops during nighttime hours to reduce the likelihood of detection, and Rosendo Ramirez flew the drones from concealed locations in the fields around the prisons. The targeted facilities included the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, Salinas Valley State Prison, High Desert State Prison, Pleasant Valley State Prison, California State Prison in Sacramento, and California State Prison in Corcoran.

Michael Ray Acosta

Michael Ray Acosta, 48, an inmate at Pleasant Valley State Prison, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone, and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate and using a cellphone in aid of racketeering.

Jose Enrique Oropeza

Jose Enrique Oropeza, a resident of Colton in San Bernardino County, faces several charges, including conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone, and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate. He is also accused of possessing heroin and marijuana with the intent to distribute, operating a drone that is not registered, and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without proper certification.

Ronsendo Rene Ramirez

Rosendo Rene Ramirez, 34, of Sacramento, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, serving and attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

David Ramirez Jr.

David Ramirez Jr., 34, of Sacramento, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone and serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and owning or operating a drone that is not registered.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Federal Aviation Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. If convicted of possessing with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana or distributing and possessing with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, the defendants face a statutory penalty of five to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. If convicted of conspiracy to own and operate an unregistered drone, serving, owning or operating a drone that is not registered, attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, or using a cellphone in aid of racketeering, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. (Press Release)

Post Image- High Desert State Prison– Susanville, California

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