Name: Contra Costa man who became ‘CEO’ of huge international meth ring sentenced to 14 years
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Contra Costa man who became ‘CEO’ of huge international meth ring sentenced to 14 years

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By | | Bay Area News GroupOAKLAND — A Bay Area man who prosecutors say was responsible for the smuggling and distribution of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced Friday to 14 years in federal prison.Sergio Vasquez-Gonzalez, 29, whom prosecutors say goes by the aliases Checo and Number One, was sentenced at a Friday morning court hearing before U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar, who called defendant’s conduct “egregious” and noted that for every shipment of meth that comes into the United States, there will be a “certain number of jobs lost, a certain number of marriages shattered, and a certain number of overdoses.”“Mr. Vasquez-Gonzalez is either the most significant drug dealer I have sentenced in my judicial career or one of the most significant,” Tigar said. He later added, “He was a successful mid-level or high level dealer with storage units and safehouses, driving a Mercedes Benz.”In court filings, prosecutors describe Vasquez-Gonzalez as the “CEO” of a massive drug ring that shipped meth and cocaine from Mexico into the Bay Area. Federal authorities started investigating the group in 2016, leading to numerous Bay Area residents being hit with federal drug trafficking charges.The defense asked for a 12-year term and prosecutors asked for 18 years, a significant departure from the life sentence recommended by the federal sentencing guidelines system.Speaking through a Spanish translator who appeared to have difficulty keeping up with the speed he was talking, Vasquez-Gonzalez apologized in court.“I’m very embarrassed for the decisions I’ve made and the crimes I committed,” Vasquez-Gonzalez said, adding he wanted to apologize to the victims as well. He was added he was “thankful” for his arrest because it gave him “an opportunity to change my life…and carry on a different life.”Vasquez-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a meth trafficking federal offense last year. Prosecutors say he of dozens of at a time from a Mexico, using various methods; one package of candles contained more than 50 pounds of the drug, for instance. sent to Bay Point contained more than 40 pounds.Even when the drugs would get intercepted by authorities, Vasquez-Gonzalez was undeterred; he would simply change the recipient and order a new shipment, prosecutors said. When the drugs touched down, Vasquez-Gonzalez “directed other individuals,” to sell them, set profits, oversaw money laundering, and coordinated with couriers in Southern California.“This is an extraordinary case. This is a significant drug trafficking defendant,” assistant Nikhil Bhagat. He later added, “Mr. Vasquez-Gonzalez is very rare…He is significantly more culpable than any of his co-defendants.”Prosecutors also contend that Vasquez-Gonzalez “preyed upon” and essentially tricked him into joining the ring, which Tigar said was a key factor in the sentence. The man has an IQ of around 47, Tigar said, yet still received a lengthy prison term. Tigar said sentencing the cousin “was one of the most difficult things” he’s ever done and specifically asked prosecutors to remind him of that day when Vasquez-Gonzalez came up for sentencing.“He was so out of touch with the consequences of what he was doing that he thanked his arresting officer. He was helpless,” Tigar said. He later added, “I’ve heard nothing today from Mr. Vasquez-Gonzalez today bout his cousin.”Vasquez-Gonzalez’s attorney acknowledged his client was in charge of the ring but argued 18 years would be excessive. He said others in the ring continued drug trafficking in the Bay Area even when Vasquez-Gonzalez was in Mexico.“I’m not here to minimize my client’s leadership, but at the end of the day I think 12 years is certainly taking that into account,” defense attorney Art Santana said. He later added Vasquez-Gonzalez came from a town where, “either you use and abuse drugs, or you sell them…I think that’s one of the reasons he left and came to Northern California.”Santana also cast doubt on the idea that Vasquez-Gonzalez could have led an international drug ring at a young age, noting that when he was arrested in 2018 he was only 26. Tigar disagreed with that assessment, stating it indicated Vasquez-Gonzalez was an intelligent young man who could have applied his skills to a positive end.“That makes this crime all the more sad…if Mr. Vasquez-Gonzalez wanted to make a living through law abiding activity he easily could have done that,” Tigar said.In court filings, the defense wrote that Vasquez-Gonzalez was kidnapped for ransom by a Mexican drug cartel as a youth, and witnessed his friend being tortured during the ordeal. He said while in jail, Vasquez-Gonzalez took classes and worked to “get his life back to where he needed to get it.”“That is not in any way shape or form to minimize the drugs that were sold…meth is clearly highly addictive and causes tons of problems in our society,” Santana said. “But again I just believe my client fully understands and accepts the responsibility and is looking for this court to have some kind of compassion and leniency.”Santana also said Vasquez-Gonzalez recently lost his father and has a young daughter who “will never get to know” her dad if he’s sentenced to 18 years. But Tigar said that argument “rang a little hollow,” noting that Vasquez-Gonzalez put his relationship with his child at risk by committing such serious crimes.We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. 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By | | Bay Area News GroupOAKLAND — A Bay Area man who prosecutors say was responsible for the smuggling and distribution of hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced Friday to 14 years in federal prison.Sergio Vasquez-Gonzalez, 29, whom prosecutors say goes by the aliases Checo and Number One, was sentenced at a Friday morning court hearing before U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar, who called defendant’s conduct “egregious” and noted that for every shipment of meth that comes into the United States, there will be a “certain number of jobs lost, a certain number of marriages...

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Nate Gartrell

Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. See the latest news from throughout the East Bay, including Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

Contra Costa man who became ‘CEO’ of huge international meth ring sentenced to 14 years

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