DENVER – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – The Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force – Metro Gang Unit announced today that a federal grand jury in Denver has indicted 23 members or associates of the GKI (Gallant Knights Insane) street gang on charges of crack cocaine distribution. The GKI gang operates in the Metro Denver area. An additional 12 defendants have been charged by Criminal Complaint, and 15 defendants face state charges. Of those charged federally, 31 have been arrested by federal state, and local law enforcement. There are 4 federal fugitives.
In addition to the arrests, over 400 police officers and federal agents also executed 55 search warrants of residences and vehicles in Denver, Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Littleton, Englewood, Northglenn, Brighton, Westminster, and Aurora. During the execution of the warrants, quantities of marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy were discovered, as were cash, securities, and numerous weapons. The arrests and searches culminate a 2 year criminal investigation.
On August 2, 2005, a federal grand jury in Denver returned a four count indictment charging 22 defendants with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 5 kilograms of cocaine, and over 50 grams of crack cocaine. One of the defendants, CHRISTOPHER GARDUNO, age 31, of Arvada, Colorado, also faces charges of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and possession of a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Those named in the federal indictment are:
CHRISTOPHER GARDUNO, age 31, of Arvada, Colorado
SEFERINO ESTRADA, age 28, of Denver, Colorado
MARK FOX, age 28, of Denver, Colorado
GARRY GALLEGOS, age 19, of Denver, Colorado
VANESSA GALLEGOS, age 30, of Denver, Colorado
JUAN GARCIA, age 22, of Denver, Colorado
MIRAMON GARDUNO, age 28, of Lakewood, Colorado
EILEEN GIERBOLINI, age 23, of Denver, Colorado
ANTHONY LOPEZ, age 36, of Denver, Colorado
ADAM LUCERO, age 26, of Denver, Colorado
RUDOLPH MAESTAS, age 25, of Lakewood, Colorado
ERIKA MCGEE, age 25, of Denver, Colorado
MANUELITA RAMIREZ, age 26, of Lakewood, Colorado
SANTOS RIVERA-MENDEZ, age 24, of Brighton, Colorado
STEVEN SABEL, age 29, of Denver, Colorado
DAVID SANDOVAL, age 29, of Denver, Colorado
JELAN SMITH, age 32, of Aurora, Colorado
SANDRA TAVAREZ, age 50, of Lakewood, Colorado
MONIQUE TORRES, age 18, of Arvada, Colorado
THERESA TORRES, age 21, of Arvada, Colorado
MANUEL TRUJILLO, age 33, of Arvada, Colorado
VICTOR VALDEZ, age 26, of Denver, Colorado
Those charged by individual Criminal Complaint include: LORENZO GOMEZ, unknown age, charged with use of a communication facility to facilitate the possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, which carries a penalty of not more than 4 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine.
WILLIAM MADISON, age 32, of Denver, Colorado, charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and use of a communication facility to facilitate the possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. The possession with intent to distribute carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in federal prison, and/or a $1,000,000 fine. Use of a communication facility for drug trafficking carries a penalty of not more than 4 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine.
ROXANNE ARLENE TRUJILLO, age 24, of Denver, Colorado, charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, which carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in federal prison, and/or a $1,000,000 fine.
JAMES OSCAR FRIAS, age 28, charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm (.45 caliber semi-automatic handgun), which carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine.
ALEX MARTINEZ, of Denver, Colorado, charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, and use of a communication facility to facilitate the possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. The possession with intent to distribute carries a penalty of not more than 20 years in federal prison, and/or a $1,000,000 fine. Use of a communication facility for drug trafficking carries a penalty of not more than 4 years in federal prison, and/or a $250,000 fine.
Each defendant named in the indictment faces a penalty of 10 years to life in federal prison, and/or a $4,000,000 fine. CHRISTOPHER GARDUNO also faces a mandatory 5 year sentence consecutive to his drug sentence for possessing a handgun in furtherance of drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force – Metro Gang Unit, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Aurora Police Department, Denver Police Department, Commerce City Police Department, Thornton Police Department, Northglenn Police Department, Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Colorado Department of Corrections, State of Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the Littleton Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Wheatridge Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Englewood Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, and task force members assigned to the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force – Violent Crime/Violent Fugitive Unit, Front Range Drug Task Force, and the Fugitive Location Apprehension Group.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Tafoya, Joseph Allen, and Joshua Stein.
A Criminal Complaint is a probable cause charging document. Anyone accused of committing a federal crime has a constitutional right to be indicted by a federal grand jury.
These charges are only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
