NASHVILLE – Julio Esparza, 47, from Alamo, Texas, received a 70-month federal prison sentence, followed by 5 years of supervised release and a $1,031,600 money judgment, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
In December 2022, Esparza pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana. His conviction is linked to his involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing significant amounts of controlled substances from Texas to Tennessee between 2015 and 2019. Esparza employed his codefendants Freddy Quinones and Jesus Silva to transport the narcotics to Tennessee, where the drugs were further distributed by other codefendants, including Brent Burns, Henry Davis, and Brandon Dailey. Substantial drug proceeds were sent back to Esparza in Texas by Quinones and Silva.
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The other individuals charged in the indictment with Esparza have all pled guilty and were previously sentenced as follows:
– Terry Strayhorn, 43, of Columbia, Tennessee, was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.
– Brent Burns, 40, of Columbia, Tennessee, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
– Derrick Nixon, 55, of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 8 years of supervised release.
– Vincent Conner, 40, of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
– Tory Hardison, 29, of Pulaski, Tennessee, was sentenced to 100 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
– Tristen Tisby, 32, of Columbia, Tennessee, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
– Samuel Abernathy, 46, of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, was sentenced to 75 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
– Henry Davis, 44, of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
– Freddy Quinones, 50, of Pembroke, Kentucky, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
– Shanika Odom, 34, of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
– Jesus Silva, 42, of Harlingen, Texas, was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
– Carson Lunn, 27, of Rogersville, Alabama, was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Division, Columbia Resident Agency; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Columbia Police Department; the Hohenwald Police Department; the Spring Hill Police Department; and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Levine and Nani M. Gilkerson prosecuted the case.
Source: Read Original Release
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