Members of Heroin Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Federal Prison Two Cousins Sentenced as Leaders of Trafficking Organization

MEDFORD, OR—Ismael Anaya, 28, and Eliot Delavirgen, 33, both of Medford, Oregon, were sentenced Monday to federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner for their leadership roles in a heroin trafficking organization located in the Rogue Valley. Anaya was sentenced to 260 months in prison and Delavirgen was sentenced to 160 months. Judge Panner also ordered the forfeiture of two vehicles, jewelry and over $840,000. Earlier this year, both Anaya and Delavirgen plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Delavirgen also plead guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Anaya and Delavirgen are cousins, originally from Oxnard, California.

According to sentencing documents filed with the court, federal court authorized wiretaps revealed Anaya’s primary leadership role in the organization and the conspiracy with others to distribute heroin. Anaya had been involved in selling heroin to local distributors since 2008. Delavirgen became actively involved in assisting Anaya with the distribution including taking over the heroin distribution activities in June 2009. It was estimated that Anaya distributed a total of 25 to 50 pounds of heroin in the Rogue Valley, while Delavirgen was delivering $30,000 to $35,000 every two weeks from heroin sales to Anaya. Anaya directed the activities of distributors, made arrangements to purchase additional heroin when supplies ran low, handled the financial aspects of collecting money as well as paying the source of supply. Anaya also arranged transportation for the heroin to be delivered to the Rogue Valley and was involved in the daily operation of the drug trafficking organization.

The sentencing documents also disclose that wiretaps uncovered numerous drug related discussions between Anaya, Delavirgen and their various distributors. Those discussions involved the supply of heroin and the demand for it by the distributors, arranging for the delivery of heroin including plans to pick up two pounds of heroin from a stash house located in Milwaukee, Oregon, collecting money from the various distributors and paying their supplier. There were also discussions about assaulting and robbing others who owed them money.

The government pointed out to the court that heroin-related deaths in Oregon are the highest they have been since 2000 according to 2009 statistics released earlier this year by the Oregon State Medical Examiner. In fact, the Medical Examiner reported that heroin related deaths were more than twice the amount of drug related deaths from methamphetamine and cocaine combined. After this drug trafficking organization became entrenched in the Medford community, heroin-related arrests and overdoses steadily increased.

“Heroin is killing dozens of Oregonians every year—we've got to put a stop to it. Large scale prosecutions like this—which destroy drug organizations root and branch—are key,” said U.S. Attorney Dwight Holton. “But the long term solution requires community support for prevention and treatment, and support for families dealing with addiction.”

In October 2009, federal agents and local law enforcement officers executed numerous search warrants in the Medford area including a warrant on Anaya’s residence. Agents seized over two pounds of heroin, drug packaging material and over $6,500 in cash and arrested Anaya. A search warrant was also executed at Delavirgen’s residence and agents seized a firearm and ammunition and later located and arrested Delavirgen. Both Anaya and Delavirgen have been in US Marshal custody since their arrest.

Jerrett Michael Hooey, 22, of Talent, Oregon, was also sentenced Monday by Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner to 100 months in federal prison for his role as one of the midlevel heroin distributors for the organization. Hooey plead guilty in April 2010 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. In October 2009, when agents executed a search warrant on Hooey’s residence they caught him in the process of flushing items down a toilet in the master bedroom and they seized from his bedroom heroin, scales, drug packaging material and $1,000. Agents also executed another federal search warrant on defendant’s safety deposit box and an additional $6,100 was seized. Judge Panner order the forfeiture of all the money seized.

Other mid-level heroin distributors were previously sentenced to federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner. They were all convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin earlier this year. Anthony Aaron Albert, 46, of Eagle Point, Oregon and Shannon Christopher Harrop, 21, of Talent, Oregon were both sentenced to 70 months each. Judith Ann Potteiger, 28, of Roseville, California was sentenced to 30 months. Ronald James Coutee, 55, of Medford, Oregon, was sentenced to 100 months. In addition to the heroin offense, Coutee was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Erica Ann Lapizco, 31, of Medford, Oregon was previously sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner for her role in supplying smaller amounts of heroin to Anaya on several occasions in September 2009 when his primary source of heroin was temporarily cut off. Lapizco was convicted for the distribution of heroin earlier this year.

This was a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Medford Police Department and Medford Area Drug & Gang Enfocement (MADGE) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamala Holsinger and Byron Chatfield.