The leader of a 13-member conspiracy to distribute cocaine, opioid pills, and other drugs was sentenced to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison on Wednesday, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Ray Guerrero, age 50, of Waterford, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Bernard A. Friedman. Evidence at Guerrero’s October 2022 jury trial showed that he supplied drugs to family members, friends, and others for sale, mostly in Oakland County, from 2009 through April 2017. He owned a house on Virginia Street in Pontiac, and he supplied drugs to relatives at that house for frequent sales, turning the Virginia Street house into a “trap” or drug house. Guerrero also provided drugs for sale at other Oakland County residences and properties. He used minors as well as adults to sell drugs, and the organization he led sold drugs at and near a school in Oakland County.
Twelve other defendants in the case had previously pleaded guilty; only Guerrero proceeded to trial. The jury found him guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (cocaine, pills, including Norcos and Valium, and other drugs) and being a felon in possession of firearms.
“Today’s sentence highlights the impact that collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies has on our communities when it comes to combatting drug trafficking,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Drug dealers who use minors to help them distribute poison in our communities should know that we are committed to stopping them and ensuring that they face serious consequences.”
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe environment, free from illicit narcotics and the violence that goes hand in hand with these criminal activities,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “This large-scale investigation conducted by the FBI’s Oakland County Violent Crimes and Gangs Task Force is a great example of how law enforcement agencies at every level can work together to positively impact a community flooded with dangerous drugs. Mr. Guerrero’s sentence should serve as deterrent to anyone who thinks they can traffic drugs in Southeast Michigan without consequence.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF
The FBI’s Oakland County Violent Crime Task Force was the investigating agency. The Task Force includes FBI agents and other law enforcement partners such as Deputies of the Oakland County Sheriff, Madison Heights Police Department, Southfield Police Department, Bloomfield Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, Novi Police, Ferndale Police and officials from the Michigan Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dave Portelli.
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