Lawmen bust up meth ring

12 of 14 arrested, court records say

FORT SMITH -- Federal authorities have broken up a methamphetamine ring in western Arkansas with the arrest last week of nine people, according to U.S. District Court records.

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According to the federal court docket, 14 co-defendants have been charged in a 24-count indictment with conspiracy, distribution, possession with intent to distribute, aiding and abetting, or using communication facilities to further the conspiracy.

According to the U.S. attorney's office, the indictment remained under seal Wednesday because two of those indicted had not been arrested.

On Friday, the nine co-defendants who were arrested on federal warrants Sept. 23 had initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Mark Ford. Each pleaded innocent, was ordered detained pending trial and had trial set for Nov. 2, according to the court records.

They were listed in the court docket, without age or hometown, as:

• Roxana Cardona, charged with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting.

• Amber Nicole Cottrell, conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting.

• Casey Allen Cottrell, conspiracy and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting.

• Joseph Glenn Kutter, conspiracy, using a communication facility to further the conspiracy, distribution of methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting.

• Aris Orellana, conspiracy and two counts of using a communication facility to further the conspiracy.

• Armando Picazo, conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

• Maria D. Jesus Martinez, conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

• Jose A. Quinones, conspiracy and two counts of using a communication facility to further the conspiracy.

• Melinda Sue Quinones, conspiracy and two counts of using a communication facility to further the conspiracy.

Three others -- Noel Ramirez-Osorio, John Wayne Davis and Jose E. Mendez-Alvarado -- entered innocent pleas Tuesday before Ford. They were ordered detained pending trial, which Ford also set for Nov. 2.

According to the court docket on the case, Ramirez-Osorio was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Davis was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of using a communication facility in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Mendez-Alvarado was charged with conspiracy, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one of aiding and abetting distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Without the indictment, there were few details about the drug ring and the roles each played in it. The only information about the case as of Wednesday came from a criminal complaint that was filed July 30 against Mendez-Alvarado.

The affidavit with the complaint said that on June 6, a Fort Smith police officer pulled over a Toyota Solara that was speeding over the Garrison Avenue bridge from Oklahoma into downtown Fort Smith.

The sole occupant, Mendez-Alvarado, told the officer he had just driven in from California. The officer noticed Mendez-Alvarado had no luggage and what appeared to be a bottle of urine behind the driver seat. The officer also noticed that Mendez-Alvarado seemed very nervous.

Getting permission to search the car, the officer discovered 11 one-pound packages of methamphetamine hidden inside the car's dashboard, according to the affidavit.

Metro on 10/01/2015

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