Over 50 people charged in connection to expansive drug trafficking ring
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - In what’s being described as “one of the biggest drug trafficking rings harming Alaska communities in the history of our state,” 53 defendants have been charged for allegedly “trafficking large amounts of drugs,” mostly fentanyl, in recent years into over a dozen communities, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
The allegations spanning from Mexico to Savoonga were detailed on Thursday in a press conference led by U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker at the James M. Fitzgerald U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building.
Four other high-ranking law enforcement officials also spoke on Thursday, representing the Drug Enforcement Administration Anchorage District Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division, FBI Anchorage Field Office and Alaska State Troopers.
“Today’s announcement is a great example of the partnership and collaborative effort at all levels of law enforcement to protect the citizens of Alaska,” said Tucker, who said 14 communities received drugs through this drug ring.
Lane said those communities were Anchorage, Dillingham, Fairbanks, Good News Bay, Ketchikan, Kodiak, New Stuyahok, Palmer, Sand Point, Savoonga, Sitka, Togiak, Tyonek and Wasilla.
The case centers around an inmate, 57-year-old Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, serving 25 years to life in a California prison who ran a transnational organized crime and drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska from his cell in California.
Tucker said Sanchez-Rodriguez “gave direction as to how to traffic the drugs, who would traffic the drugs and what communities to traffic the drugs to in Alaska.” The California inmate allegedly used contraband cell phones to communicate with his suppliers in Mexico to get the drugs.
Tucker said Christina Quintana, 38, who was an inmate at Hiland Mountain Correctional Facility in Eagle River, allegedly recruited soon-to-be-released inmates from Hiland to be distributors in the drug ring.
“Upon the release, the newly recruited members would receive packages of drugs in the mail and distribute the drugs across the state,” Tucker said.
Quintana, according to Tucker, is considered one of Sanchez-Rodriguez’s “wives,” which is a title reserved for high-ranking members of the enterprise. Tucker says Sanchez-Rodriguez and another one of his “wives,” Tamara Bren, 41, and Kevin Peterson, 29, allegedly killed Sunday Powers and Kami Clark near Trapper Creek in May 2023.
Court documents allege Sanchez-Rodriguez, Bren and Peterson coordinated the kidnapping, where the victims were kidnapped through carjacking, murdered and buried in a shallow grave.
The grand jury also charged Edward Ginnis, 38, and Samantha Pearson, 37, of North Pole, with offenses related to their role in the conspiracy and with distributing fentanyl to Adam Sakkinen resulting in his death.
“The 53 named defendants are connected to the drug trafficking organization through a singular conspiracy charge in each indictment: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, primarily fentanyl,” Tucker said.
This investigation has been ongoing for two years.
In total more than 25 defendants were also charged with money laundering in at least 76 separate transactions.
Tucker says a multi-agency investigation by those in the Justice Department discovered the alleged international drug trafficking organization to be the cause of drugs being brought to various places across Alaska. Tucker emphasized a federal grand jury has returned nine indictments, alleging charges against those 53 defendants and believes some have committed violent crimes to further their criminal enterprise.
Defendants in this case made their initial court appearances over the past four months before U.S. Magistrate Judges of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
Defendants in this case include:
- Alison Giacullo, 40
- Amber Young, 28
- Amy Garcia, 32
- Angela Jasper, 39
- Anna Petla, 24
- April Chythlook, 28
- Ashley Northrup, 35
- Catherine Phillips, 40
- Christina Quintana
- Cloe Sam, 26
- Colleen McDaniel, 68
- Della Northway, 28
- Desiree Green, 45
- Douglas Vanmeter, 32
- Edward Ginnis
- Elroy Bouchard, 58
- Erika Badillo, a.k.a “Erica Madrigal,” 42
- Erindira Pin, 44
- Frieda Gillespie, 50
- Gust Romie, 36
- Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, a.k.a “Charlie,” “Marco” and “Danny Sanchez”
- James Schwarz, 41
- Josi Sterling, f.k.a “Josi Philbin,” 35
- Julia Brusell, 41
- Kaleea Fox, 24
- Karen Kasak, 51
- Karly Fuller, 30
- Kevin Peterson II
- Khamthene Thongdy, 45
- Krystyn Gosuk, 33
- Larry Marsden, 41
- Lois Frank, 64
- Mario Klanott, 37
- Michael Kohler, 35
- Michael Soto, 33
- Michelle Pungowiyi, 49
- Naomi Sanchez, 39
- Pasquale Giordano, 45
- Patricia Seal-Uttke, 30
- Pius Hanson, 40
- Richard Frye, 35
- Rochelle Wood, 38
- Samantha Pearson
- Sara Orr, 32
- Shanda Barlow, 34
- Shania Agli, 25
- Stormy Cleveland, f.k.a “Stormy Powell,” 37
- Tamara Bren
- Tamberlyn Solomon, 25
- Tiffani Couch, 30
- Twyla Gloko, 36
- Valerie Sanchez, 26
- Veronica Sanchez, 49
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