Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced four individuals to federal prison terms for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Edgar Ortiz Lopez (30, Jacksonville) was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months, Jeffrey Rivera Gomez (39, Puerto Rico) was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months, Yaddiel Ortiz Lopez (26, Jacksonville) was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months, and Cassidy E. Martinez Iglesias (30, Jacksonville) was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months. Each had previously pleaded guilty.
According to court documents, between January 2020 and February 2021, Yaddiel Jesus Ortiz Lopez (“Yaddiel”), Edgar Yandell Ortiz Lopez (“Edgar”), and Iglesias obtained multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Gomez in Puerto Rico and distributed it in Jacksonville. Law enforcement officers with the United States Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that the cocaine was being shipped from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville via the United States Postal Service and then delivered to various locations in Jacksonville for further distribution.
On January 4, 2021, during a routine inspection of parcels at the mail facility on Kings Road in Jacksonville, law enforcement officers found a suspicious package addressed to Gomez in Puerto Rico. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement opened the package which contained $88,990 in cash in a shoebox and a GPS tracker. The money was seized and forfeited. Video surveillance from the post office revealed that Edgar had mailed the package.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office worked together and located records for 40 parcels that were associated with Yaddiel, Edgar, Gomez, and Iglesias. The conspirators were responsible for the distribution of up to 50 kilograms of cocaine.
“The introduction of illicit narcotics continues to ravage our communities and rip families apart,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “The sentencings of these criminals to a combined 189 months in federal prison is a testament to the dedication of HSI special agents, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in stopping the influx of dangerous narcotics into our communities and households.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.