Juan Rivera-Gutierrez, 35, and Pedro Pabon, Jr., 42, both of Virginia Beach, were sentenced Friday for their respective roles in a three-and-a-half year cocaine conspiracy. Rivera-Gutierrez was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and Pabon to 30 months’ imprisonment.
According to court documents, Rivera-Gutierrez and Pabon conspired to sell wholesale quantities of cocaine from September 2013 to April 2017. Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted nine controlled purchases and recovered over 500 grams of cocaine.
During one controlled purchase, Pabon suggested that a confidential informant add a cutting agent to cocaine known as “Aroma,” a product commonly used as a carpet cleaner, to increase profits. On another controlled purchase, Rivera-Gutierrez sold a wholesale quantity of cocaine and five firearms with multiple 100-round clips and a silencer.
The silencer was a Department of Defense asset and the firearms included a Russian Izhmash Saiga 12 caliber shotgun, an Israeli Tavor Sar 556 caliber rifle, a DMPS Panther 223 caliber rifle, a stolen Olympic MRF AR-15 multi-caliber rifle, and a Colt M4LE 556 caliber rifle.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; and Karl C. Colder, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John F. Butler and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Bosse prosecuted the case.
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