Irvine : Four Men Convicted in Drug Ring Operation
A Los Angeles federal court jury on Thursday convicted four men charged with operating a Miami-based drug ring that was broken last August when undercover narcotics agents seized 121 pounds of cocaine at the Irvine Marriott Hotel and an apartment in Hacienda Heights.
Convicted on cocaine conspiracy and cocaine possession charges were: Richard Jarvis, 42, of Miami, and Colombian nationals Antonio Torres, 45, of Miami; Francisco Vieira, 30, of Tampa, Fla., and Jorge Soto-Ocacio, 25, of Hacienda Heights.
The jury deliberated two days after a three-week trial.
At the time, the seizure was one of the largest in Southern California. It has since been overshadowed by a series of much larger cocaine seizures, including a recent 1,700-pound seizure in Orange County.
U.S. District Judge Robert Takasugi scheduled sentencing for June 30.
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