Las Vegas trio guilty of drug trafficking in Hawaii

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | 4:54 p.m.

After a five-week trial, a federal jury found three Las Vegas residents guilty of drug trafficking in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Benjamin Acuna, Anabel Valenzuela and Eddy Olguin were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

In addition, Acuna and Valenzuela forfeited their interests in various property in Las Vegas and also were found guilty on conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Evidence at the trial proved to the jury that Acuna and Valenzuela, who are husband and wife, led a large drug trafficking organization that shipped thousands of pounds of methamphetamine from Las Vegas to Hawaii from 2002 to September 2005, said Edward H. Kubo, Jr., U.S. Attorney for Hawaii.

Olguin assisted in the day-to-day operations of the organization, including arranging for the delivery of meth to others for transporting the drug from Las Vegas to Hawaii, Kubo said.

Acuna, Valenzuela and Olguin each face a possible life sentence with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

Acuna and Valenzuela are scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 5 by U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway, who will also sentence Olguin on Dec. 15.

In addition to going to prison, Acuna and Valenzuela will forfeit to the federal government their interests in five Las Vegas properties because they were purchased or contained cash from drug trafficking or were involved or traced to the money laundering offenses.

The jury also ordered Acuna and Valenzuela to forfeit an $8 million judgment as a sum representing the organization's profit from the sale and distribution of 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine in Hawaii.

The case involved a three-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation unit.

So far, 21 people have been prosecuted and convicted of federal drug offenses for their roles in the drug conspiracy, Kubo said.

Another co-conspirator in the case, 40-year-old Antonio Santos of Waipahu, Hawaii, was sentenced on Sept. 2 to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

According to court records, Santos was part of the drug conspiracy. He received drug parcels mailed from Las Vegas to Hawaii. Santos then mailed parcels containing cash after selling the meth to Las Vegas, ultimately to Acuna and Valenzuela. Santos was convicted after a jury trial in November 2007.