A jury has convicted a husband and wife duo of running a South Dakota drug ring that transported methamphetamine across state borders from Mexico into California.
The Sioux Falls court trial ended with the conviction of the two on one count for conspiring to launder money and another for conspiracy to distribute drugs, which each can carry up to a $10,000,000 fine.
Madrigal, Jr. and his wife were the leaders of a South Dakota operation that trafficked hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of Meth. They worked with their relatives to transport, sell, and traffic over 100 pounds of meth.
All of them were charged and convicted.
Madrigal Junior was a case that involved Oscar Madrigal, his younger brother. Oscar Madrigal was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled drugs in July 2022. The sentence was 120 months.
Rosa Madrigal tried to launder drug money by making several deposits of cash in different institutions. The mother was sentenced in August 2020 to 60 months imprisonment for conspiring to launder money instruments.
Maria Magana Zavala, William Hartwick, and other people were implicated after making several trips to and from California and South Dakota. A married couple transported marijuana, methamphetamines, and money. This couple was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
The federal court sentenced and charged unnamed coconspirators who were low-level distributors.
Madrigal, Jr., and his wife, as well as their children, face harsh mandatory minimum sentences. For conspiracy to distribute controlled drugs, the minimum sentence is 10 years. The maximum penalty for this crime is life imprisonment.
The maximum sentence is 20 years in prison and/or fines of up to $500,000. They will also be placed under supervision for three years and have $100 assessed as a special contribution towards the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
The investigations were conducted by the DEA, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force.
