NORFOLK — On Friday, July 16, a federal jury convicted a man who was a member of an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
Juan Gabriel Rodriguez-Preciado, 43 of Kennewick, Wash., was convicted for his role in facilitating the trafficking of kilogram quantities of cocaine between a Mexican cartel and a regional drug trafficking organization (DTO).
The DTO, which is identified as having been run by Adian Barth, 35 of Chesterfield, involved Rodriguez-Preciado while he stayed at the Richmond-area home of Barth between July and August 2019.
While residing with Barth, Rodriguez-Preciado distributed what evidence shows was approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine every other week to members of the DTO. For this, he collected approximately $30,000 per kilogram, which was then funneled to Mexico.
“The jury’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for dangerously facilitating the distribution of significant quantities of cocaine between an international drug cartel and a regional drug trafficking organization,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). “EDVA is grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly on this case to protect the public and pursue justice against those who placed profits over the well-being of our communities.”
Rodriguez-Preciado is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29. The mandatory minimum sentence is five years, with a maximum of 60 years in prison. However, actual sentences are typically less than the maximum.
Barth was sentenced on May 11 to 225 months in prison for charges of conspiracy to distribute, possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine.