Opinion ID: 612831
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Facts.Drug Distribution Activity

Text: Much of the evidence against Acosta-Gallardo was introduced through the testimony of co-defendant Alvaro Alvarado-Sanabria (Alvarado). Alvarado was arrested on October 13, 2009, and as part of his plea agreement that followed, he agreed to provide information on people with whom he dealt in drugs. At the time of his arrest, Alvarado had been involved in distributing methamphetamine for roughly three years. Alvarado testified that he was first exposed to dealing in methamphetamine through a man named Alfredo Garcia, who imported drugs from Mexico. Alvarado and Garcia first became acquainted in late 2006 or early 2007 when Garcia came to Alvarado's place of employment, looking for work. Alvarado helped Garcia find employment and also let him a room. As they became better acquainted, Alvarado agreed to lend Garcia money at a favorable interest rate. After loaning Garcia money three or four times, Alvarado found out that Garcia was using the money to purchase methamphetamine for distribution. R., Vol. 3 at 144-45. Alvarado testified that in the beginning, he was just loaning money to Garcia as an investment. Id. at 145-46. Garcia returned to Mexico several times a year and Alvarado took over the methamphetamine distribution operation. Alvarado testified that he and Garcia were like partners. He became acquainted with Garcia's driver, who transported the methamphetamine to Utah. Alvarado also met Garcia's customers. Alvarado testified that he and Garcia had three sources for obtaining methamphetamine: (1) a source called Police, (2) Juvenal Garcia (a co-defendant), and (3) the defendant, Acosta-Gallardo. In the beginning, Alvarado had only one buyer, Brahnson Arnell. Arnell lived in Lyman, Wyoming. Alvarado testified that his only reason for communicating with Arnell was to sell him methamphetamine. Alvarado sold methamphetamine to Arnell for approximately three years. Arnell introduced Alvarado to some of his customers in Wyoming so that Alvarado could deal directly with them. These customers included Alvarado's co-defendants, Robert Landry, Charles Thunehorst, Charles Jerabek, Jason Freeman, and Matthew Owens. Alvarado estimated that between 2007 and 2009, he sold two to four pounds of methamphetamine to Landry, five to eight pounds to Thunehorst, and roughly three to four pounds to Owens. In turn, some of these customers sold methamphetamine to their own customers. For example, Landry sold methamphetamine he received from Alvarado to Freeman, George Burkett, Tommy Burkett, Kevin Watson, and others. Alvarado testified he would deliver methamphetamine to his Wyoming customers at one of several pre-arranged meeting places off of Interstate 80 between Salt Lake City, Utah, and Rock Springs, Wyoming. R., Vol. 5 Ex. 103; R., Vol. 3 at 336-40. Each location was assigned a code number, and the delivery location would be communicated by referencing the location's code number.