CORPUS CHRISTI TRIO INDICTED FOR ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKING, MONEY LAUNDERING AND STRUCTURING

(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Three people from Corpus Christi have been indicted as a result of an the efforts of a multi-agency Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

Angel Mario Gonzalez, 48, George Jacob Puebla III, 30, and Charles Ambrose Chavana, 26, all of Corpus Christi, Texas, were indicted Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011, by a federal grand jury following the filing of a criminal complaint and the group’s arrest on Jan. 20, 2011, in Corpus Christi, Texas. All have made their initial appearance and all were detained without bond. They will appear for arraignment on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, at 11:00 A.M. before U.S. Magistrate Judge B. Janice Ellington.

Gonzalez, Puebla and Chavana are all charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute approximately 19.06 kilograms of cocaine. Based upon the amount of the alleged cocaine involved, the men face no less than 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment if convicted. Gonzalez is also charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison upon conviction. In the remaining count of the indictment, Angel Mario Gonzalez is alleged to have structured transactions in order to avoid a federal reporting requirement, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison upon conviction. Also included in the indictment is a notice of intent to seek a money judgment in the amount of $24,000 and a notice of criminal forfeiture for a car lot known as “Mario’s Used Cars and Detail,” located in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The investigation leading to the criminal charges was conducted through OCDETF in Corpus Christi lead by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, The United States Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, the Corpus Christi Police Department, the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office and the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie K. Hampton.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

 

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