20 Sentenced In Des Moines For Drug, Firearms, Immigration Crimes

DES MOINES, IA — Sentencings were completed Thursday in the federal prosecution of 20 people charged with a multi-state drug trafficking organization that involved, money laundering, obstruction, firearms and immigration offenses centered around the Des Moines area, a U.S. attorney announced. The investigation into the crimes began in March 2016.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the crime ring was involved in the distribution of

methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana. Investigators used controlled narcotics purchases from the organization and the execution of more than 20 search warrants on homes in Des Moines, Colorado and California in September 2016 to build their case.

All defendants charged in the investigation pleaded guilty and were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger. They are:

• Jacinto Loza Gil, 48, sentenced to 24 years and 3 months in prison
• Jonathan Escareno Chavez, 28, sentenced to 17.5 years in prison
• Gumaro Escareno Chavez, 33, sentenced to 7.5 years in prison
• Jairo Escareno Chavez, 27, sentenced to 5 years and 11 months in prison
• Heriberto Escareno Chavez, 34, sentenced to 9 years in prison
• Dennis Ugarte, 28, sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison
• Mujo Becirovic, 26, sentenced to 6 years and 1 month in prison
• Israel Morales Flores, 33, sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in prison
• Jose Manuel Cano Basurto, 43, sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in prison
• Basman Danuvio Urbina Caceres, 42, sentenced to 8 years and 4 months in prison
• David Coos Tello, 49, sentenced to 2 years in prison
• Marcos Caballero Ybarra, 30, sentenced to 4 months in prison
• Hugo Plaza Garcia, 19, sentenced to time served (4 months)
• Lee Anthony Flores Escareno, 27, sentenced to 5 years probation
• Jimmy Oswald Kiapas Hidalgo, 28, sentenced to 2 years in prison
• Antonio Salazar, 48, sentenced to time served (15 months)
• Helen Mariela Osorio Ventura, 22, sentenced 4 years probation
• Oscar Corea Holt, 21, sentenced to 3 years probation
• Miguel Flores Torres, 39, sentenced to 8 months in prison
• Steven A. See, 31, sentenced to 3 years probation

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; and Internal Revenue Service Criminal division with significant assistance of numerous state and local agencies, including the Des Moines Police Department and Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

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