KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that 19 defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury today for their role in nearly $1 million drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies.

Juan Antonio Marron, also known as “Casper,” 32, his mother, Maria Marron, also known as “Luz,” 55, a citizen of Mexico, his brother, Mario Marron, 34, his brothers-in-law, Anthony Francis Alvarez, 35, and Frank Michael Alvarez, 32, all of Kansas City, Mo., another brother-in-law, David Hernandez-Montoya, 31, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Kan., as well as Robert Joseph Olvera, 47, Benito Castillo Gutierrez, 33, John Gasca, Jr., 30, Armando Mendez, 34, Rafael Zamora, 33, Joseph Michael Lopez, 29, Gilbert Lupercio, 30, and Muhammad I. Rollie, 23, all of Kansas City, Mo., Margot Charlene Davidson, 57, of Independence, Mo., Jason Richardson, 31, of Sugar Creek, Mo., Marco Antonio Mursia, 28, of Kansas City, Kan., and Deshaun Ceruti, 36, of St. Louis, Mo., were charged in a two-count indictment returned under seal on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010, by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of 16 of the co-defendants.

The federal indictment alleges that all of the co-defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 50 grams or more of crack cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana between Jan. 1, 2006, and Nov. 17, 2010.

The indictment also alleges that all of the co-defendants participated in a money-laundering conspiracy during that time by conducting financial transactions that involved the proceeds of the illegal drug-trafficking conspiracy with the intent to promote that activity.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Juan Marron, Maria Marron, Mario Marron, Hernandez-Montoya, Ceruti, Zamora, Lopez, Richardson and Lupercio to forfeit to the government any property used to commit the alleged offenses and any property that was derived from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including $950,000, which represents the amount of proceeds obtained from the conspiracy, as well as the residential property occupied by Juan and Maria Marron, 11 vehicles and $5,700 that was recovered by law enforcement officers during the execution of a search warrant at Hernandez-Montoya’s residence.

Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce Rhoades. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

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