Seattle Man Who Distributed Heroin in Both Eastern and Western Washington Gets Long Prison Term
Defendant Distributed Kilo Quantities of Horrifically Addictive Drug

JUAN GABRIEL RUMBO ROSAS, 31, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release for distribution of heroin. RUMBO ROSAS was the subject of two unrelated investigations of heroin distribution—one in Western Washington and one in Eastern Washington. Both cases were consolidated in the Western District of Washington. RUMBO ROSAS has an extensive history of prior drug arrests. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour imposed the mandatory minimum sentence.

According to records filed in the case, RUMBO ROSAS made four sales of heroin to a person working with police or to undercover officers in Eastern Washington. The drug transactions occurred in July and August 2008, and April 2009. In July of 2009, RUMBO ROSAS also came to the attention of law enforcement in the Western District of Washington as part of an investigation into trafficking of methamphetamine. The original subject of that investigation indicated he could also get large quantities of heroin from a source that turned out to be RUMBO ROSAS. RUMBO ROSAS and the other target were arrested in August 2009, after delivering a large amount of heroin to a person working with law enforcement. More than 750 grams of heroin and $2250 in cash were seized at RUMBO ROSAS’ home.

In asking for a lengthy prison term, Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi stated that heroin is horrifically addictive and was the second leading cause of illegal drug-overdose deaths in 2009. Mr. Lombardi wrote to the court that this is RUMBO ROSAS’ “fifth controlled substance conviction. After a number of those convictions, Defendant was deported to Mexico. On each occasion, he nonetheless returned and re-offended. Defendant has had numerous chances to cease his criminal activity, and to use the relatively short sentences he received to turn his life around and stop committing drug crimes. Instead, he escalated the amount of drugs involved and the seriousness of his offenses.”

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Auburn Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and the FBI.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vince Lombardi.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@USDOJ.Gov.