Utah Based Drug Trafficking Ringleader Sentenced to 240 Months’ Imprisonment

Salt Lake City, Utah – Joe Robert Rael, 55, of Salt Lake City was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, and a term of 60 months’ supervised release for engaging in a conspiracy to traffic narcotics and launder money. 

The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., took place on July 18, 2024, after Rael, who also goes by the alias “Jojo,” pleaded guilty February 9, 2023, following a 34-count indictment that involved over 25 defendants in 2021. See prior release here.  

According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, from May 2020 to May 2021, Rael and his 26 co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and launder money. During the investigation, law enforcement learned that Rael was a main supplier of heroin and methamphetamine in the District of Utah. Agents further learned Rael had several sources of supply for narcotics, including co-defendants. The investigation also revealed some of the narcotics were obtained directly from the Mexican Drug Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG). Once Rael obtained the heroin and methamphetamine from his sources, he distributed the narcotics to several other co-conspirators. The investigation demonstrated a clear link between street gangs in Utah and Mexican Drug Cartels trafficking narcotics in the United States.

During the investigation, agents estimated more than 420 pounds of methamphetamine and 50 pounds of heroin flowed through the drug trafficking conspiracy in a one-year time period.  For example, in February 2021, agents demonstrated that Rael received more than 11 pounds of methamphetamine and about two pounds of heroin within a few days.

Rael is the 23rd defendant out of 26 defendants to be sentenced. So far, sentences have ranged from 24 months to 192 months’ imprisonment. 

“Mr. Rael is a career offender. He has been convicted in both state and federal court for trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, causing substantial harm within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Protecting our citizens is one of our top priorities. Taking Mr. Rael off the streets and dismantling the operation he and his coconspirators participated in furthers this priority. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who choose to distribute poison in our communities.”

“The sentencing of Rael is an important milestone in DEA’s focus on targeting the most prolific drug trafficking organizations distributing poison in our communities. This DEA investigation, like many others that are on-going, was a collaborative effort with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Utah. Together, our investigators will continue to work tirelessly to dismantle these drug trafficking networks and to protect Utah’s communities,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen.

"ATF, DEA, and our local law enforcement partners have concentrated our resources on disrupting the Norteño gang pipeline responsible for delivering deadly drugs into our communities," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers. "The illegal trafficking of drugs tends to run hand-in-hand with the illegal possession of firearms and contributes to deadly gun violence. We hope this 20-year federal prison sentence serves as a strong deterrent to those who contemplate perpetuating violent crime in our communities.”

“The Metro Gang Unit works hand in hand with our federal partners to reduce the narcotics and violence in our community. This case is another example of the success of that partnership,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “We are grateful for the collaboration and diligent work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in seeing this case through.”

“At IRS Criminal Investigation, we are very proud to have worked together with our many skilled law enforcement partners and bring justice in this case and protection for the community,” said IRS:CI Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick. “These criminal enterprises only operate because of the significant financial benefits to the participants. We at the IRS specialize in tracing these finances to disrupt those benefits. In working with our partners at the DEA, ATF, and locally we can each use our expertise to dismantle these conspiracies from every angle and hopefully bring security to Utah communities.”

The case was investigated jointly by The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Metro Gang Unit (MGU).

Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf. 

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