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Date: 07-27-2023
Case Style:
Case Number: 1:23-cr-10008
Judge:
Court: United States District Court for the District of South Dakota (Minnehaha County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Sioux Falls
Defendant's Attorney: Julie Dvorak
Description: Sioux Falls, South Dakota criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substance.
On November 26, 2022, Edwin Giovanni Salinas, ae 44, of El Salvador, along with his co-defendant, Berta Rosmelvi Gonzales, were pulled over during a traffic stop in northeast South Dakota. During a search of the vehicle, nearly 16 pounds of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, was located. The search revealed 12 packages – two containing powder weighing over 3.5 pounds and 10 containing pills, totaling approximately 50,000. Gonzales entered a guilty plea to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on July 20, 2023.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe Law Enforcement, the Roberts County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Dangerous Drug Enforcement Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for October 23, 2023. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Outcome: A jury convicted the Defendant. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum penalty of up to life in custody and/or a $10 million fine, five years to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: