21 Knoxville, Tennessee residents indicted for cocaine trafficking. Dreamy nicknames include 'Zeta,' 'Chucho,' 'Puebla,' 'Guero,' 'Ponzi,' 'El Perro,' 'Diego,' and 'Burro'

12/12/13, "Federal jury indicts 21 in cocaine trafficking ring," thedailytimes.com (Marysville, Tenn.), Knoxville

"Blount County authorities were part of an investigation involving a cocaine trafficking ring against 21 individuals who were living in Knoxville.

A federal grand jury returned a 58-count indictment Dec. 3 against the suspects, charging them with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, money laundering, and gun charges.

Indicted were:

• Jesus Hernandez, a.k.a. “Chucho,” 31;
• Juan Julian Felipe, 26;
• Alfredo Casteneda, a.k.a. “Boludo,” 20;
• Faustino Ramirez Ponciano, a.k.a. “El Toño,” 18;
• Fernando Amayo Gonzalez, a.k.a. “Zeta,” 26;
• Gonzalo Garcia Gines, a.k.a. “Puebla,” 31;
• Felipe De Jesus Banales, a.k.a. “Guero,” 29;
• Elder Vasquez, 34;
• Jonathan Soto-Quintana, a.k.a. “Ponzoña,” a.k.a. “Ponzi,” 23;
• Walter Nahun Oliva, a.k.a. “El Perro,” 24,
• Gilberto Fuentes Dominguez, 27,
• Jesus Amustio Panoja, a.k.a. “Chuy,” 21;
• Anael Anariba, a.k.a. “Guero,” 35;
• Geyser DeLeon, a.k.a. “Chiquilin,” a.k.a. “Chaparo,” 26;
• Jose Luis Aguilar, a.k.a. “Diego,” 34;
• Gelber Deleon, a.k.a. “Tarzan,” a.k.a. “Burro,” 21;
• Justin Moore, 28;
• Malcolm Jones, 21;
• David Lamb, 23;
• Monty Cooper, 42;
• James Handly, a.k.a. “Flaco,” 54

The suspects appeared in court before U.S. Magistrate judges this week and entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. All of them have been ordered held without bond pending trial, which has been set for Feb. 11, 2014, in U.S. District Court, in Knoxville.

Soto-Quintana, Cooper, Banales, Casteneda, Garcia-Gines, Moore, Oliva, DeLeon, Amayo-Gonzalez, Auguilar, Ponciano-Ramirez, Julian-Felipe and Dominguez are all being held as federal inmates in the Blount County Detention Facility. 

The first count of the indictment alleges that the members of the conspiracy are responsible for distributing in excess of 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of crack cocaine. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum prison term of at least 10 years and up to life and a fine of up to $10 million.

The indictment alleges that the value of the drugs trafficked by all defendants was at least $17.5 million. 

One individual, DeLeon, is charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and if convicted, faces a mandatory minimum prison term of at least five years and up to life, to be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed, and a fine of up to $250,000.

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Maryville Police Department, Alcoa Police Department and the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force all assisted in the investigation." image, Blount County. via Lucianne






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