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Press Release

Arizona Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Heroin and Cocaine

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky
The seized drugs represented hundreds of thousands of potentially lethal doses

LEXINGTON, Ky.— A federal jury in Lexington has found Hector Salas, Jr., of Phoenix, guilty of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, more than 400 grams of fentanyl and one kilogram of heroin. The jury convicted Salas on Friday, February 9, 2018, following a 3-day trial in U.S. District Court. The jury also found Salas guilty of possession with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine.

According to the trial testimony, Salas engaged in an agreement to distribute the controlled substances. The evidence also established that, in May 2017, Salas was stopped by Lexington Police, on Versailles Road, in a vehicle with a Tennessee license plate. The investigation ultimately revealed that the vehicle had come from Phoenix and the trailer towed behind it contained 5.9 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of over $410,000. Further investigation also resulted in the seizure of over 700 grams of fentanyl and over a kilogram of heroin from a residence in Lexington. The total street value of all the drugs exceeded $1,000,000. Law enforcement agencies also seized over $580,000 in proceeds from the distribution of the drugs.

The sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for May 11, 2018, at the federal courthouse in Lexington. Salas faces a minimum mandatory sentence of not less than 10 years nor more than life imprisonment.

United States Attorney Duncan; Amy Hess, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville; Richard W. Sanders, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Ron Compton, Acting Chief of Police, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky State Police, and the Lexington Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Roger W. West.

 

Updated February 12, 2018

Topic
Drug Trafficking