Man Pleads Guilty To Significant Heroin and Cocaine Conspiracy Involving Mexican Drug Cartel

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont stated today that David Baez Garcia, age 49, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, has pleaded guilty in front of Chief Judge Christina Reiss in the U.S. District Court in Burlington to a conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 100 grams or more of heroin and oxycodone from in or about Summer 2009 through in or about June 2010.

According to documents filed with the Court and testimony from a jury trial that took place starting on September 9, 2015, Baez Garcia, who also used the names Josue Ortiz and Jose Altagracia Ramirez Beltre, came to Rutland, Vermont in 2008. With the assistance of Alexis Jimenez and Florencio Reyes, who he met in New Hampshire, Baez Garcia brought hundreds of grams of heroin and multiple kilograms of cocaine into Vermont during the time frame of the conspiracy. Rauddys Barias Tejeda, of Providence, Rhode Island, supplied the heroin, which in total reached kilogram levels, as well as some of the cocaine. In 2009, Baez Garcia also received multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine from two brothers-in-law, Canciano Marquez Mayorga and Candelario Tovar Garcia, who, in turn, were receiving the cocaine from a Mexican drug cartel. After obtaining the cocaine from across the United States-Mexican border in Arizona, Marquez Mayorga and Tovar Garcia, then residing in Manchester, New Hampshire, had it shipped across the country in tractor trailers for redistribution in Vermont and New Hampshire, among other locations. The Vermont group received the final shipment of 10 kilograms of cocaine, worth in excess of $300,000, in late 2009. It traveled across country via tractor trailer to Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Thereafter, it was stored in Worcester, Massachusetts en route to Vermont. Law enforcement seized three kilograms of this shipment during a traffic stop in Massachusetts on December 15, 2009 when it was being transported to Vermont.

As the United States Attorney’s Office stated in its filings, none of these men had any connection to Vermont prior to engaging in drug trafficking here. “Collectively, these men preyed upon addicted individuals in the Rutland area, as well as in other places, for their own profit.”

Baez Garcia pleaded guilty to the charged conspiracy five days into the jury trial. Thereafter, the jury trial was discontinued. According to the plea agreement filed with the Court, Baez Garcia has agreed to serve between fifteen and eighteen years in jail for his crime.

As a result of the broader investigation, the United States Attorney’s Office has convicted seventeen defendants associated with this drug conspiracy, including Baez Garcia. This includes Alexis Jimenez, age 48, of Nashua, New Hampshire, Florencio Reyes, age 46, of Worcester, Massachusetts, Canciano Marquez Mayorga, age 29, Candelario Tovar Garcia, age 43, and Rauddys Barias Tejeda, age 43.

The United States also has convicted Justine Durfee, Jessica Lever, Thomas Morrissey, Peter Stout, Samantha Thuman, and Danielle Jankowski, of Rutland, Vermont. These individuals were involved in supporting the drug conspiracy by delivering drugs, providing housing, registering vehicles, or doing other tasks related to the conspiracy for Baez Garcia. In addition, the United States has convicted Edgar Corona and Ramiro Reyes of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Roberto Melendez and Elijah Kleinhans, of Lebanon, New Hampshire for their roles in delivering drugs or otherwise assisting the drug conspiracy. Letitia Carstensen, of Milton, Vermont, also was convicted of drug charges related to her involvement into drug distribution with her then-boyfriend, Alexis Jimenez.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Southern Vermont Drug Task Force, the Vermont State Police, and the Burlington Police Department. United States Attorney Eric Miller commends the exemplary work of the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies investigating this matter.

The United States was represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Ross. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy C. Doherty, Jr., also represented the United States at the trial against David Baez Garcia. Baez Garcia is represented by David Williams, Esq. and Brooks McArthur, Esq. of Burlington.