Crime

Puerto Rico Man Sentenced To 68 Months For Conspiracy And Possession Of Cocaine

ST. CROIX -- District Court Judge Wilma A. Lewis, on October 29, 2018, sentenced Jesus Burgos-Montanez, age 31, of Puerto Rico, to 68 months in prison for conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced. Judge Lewis also sentenced Burgos-Montanez to three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay a fine of $2,000.000 and a special assessment of $200.00. On June 26, 2018, a federal jury convicted Burgos-Montanez along with five codefendants on cocaine related charges. Evidence at trial revealed that the organization planned for the retrieval of over 300 kilograms of cocaine during the period of the conspiracy. Approximately 223 kilograms of cocaine were actually distributed. Law enforcement efforts to interdict the drug shipments were successful, beginning in 2015. On November 14, 2015, law enforcement agents apprehended four members of the organization, includi...