INDIANAPOLIS — Eighteen people are facing charges Friday after a federal grand jury indicted them in connection with a meth trafficking operation that took place in central Indiana. The individuals are facing charges for conspiracies to distribute controlled substances and money laundering.
Fifteen of those defendants were taken into custody Thursday in Indianapolis, Columbus, Seymour, Terre Haute and Detroit, Michigan. Police are still looking to arrest three others. Additionally, three more people were detained for immigration violations.
Throughout the course of the investigation, police have seized approximately 82 pounds of meth, 1,750 fentanyl pills, 35 grams of fentanyl, 1 kilogram of cocaine, 4 pounds of marijuana and a large quantity of THC gummies.
Police also seized about $9,000 — money suspected from drug deals — plus nine firearms.
The following individuals are facing federal charges:
- Edeer Avila, 38, of Mexico (not yet in custody): Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Martin Felix-Garcia, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona (not yet in custody): Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments
- Isaias Gonzalez-Torres, 30, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Erlin Lucero-Asencio, 29, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Abel Ayala-Garcia, 31, of Columbus, Indiana: Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Luis Daniel Hernandez, 24, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Andrew Calix-Maldonado, 27, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Julio Vincente-Guox, 33, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Eduardo Rodriguez, 25, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth and launder monetary instruments
- Kenia Acosta, 38, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Jeami Waleska Sevilla-Luna, 27, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Victor Vazquez-Hernandez, 41, of Seymour: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Allison Perdue, 24 of Seymour: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- John Whiffing, 47, of Terre Haute: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Abner Rodas-Abelardez, 36, of Indianapolis (not yet in custody): Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Claudio Garcia-Morales, 35, of Columbus, Indiana: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Eulailo Murillo-Resura, 31, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to distribute meth
- Jendry Medina, 20, of Indianapolis: Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments
According to the defense attorney in court Friday, only three of the 18 federal defendants are U.S. citizens.
If defendants are convicted of conspiracy to distribute meth, they could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release, and up to a $10 million fine.
If convicted of money laundering, defendants face up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine. A May 5 detention hearing will decide whether the defendants will stay in prison or possibly get parole.
In addition to the federal charges, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office filed state charges against five more defendants for dealing meth, and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor charged another person for dealing meth.
These are the individuals facing state charges filed in Jackson County:
- Emilio Landa-Laganes
- Mariah Crowe
- Daniel Parrish
- Samantha Farris
- Zachariah Farris
Antonio Cuautle-Cuenca is the one defendant facing the charged filed in Bartholomew County.
More than a dozen law enforcement agencies came together to investigate the case. The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation.