NORFOLK, Va. – U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young yesterday convicted a Norfolk man and woman of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, open premises related to the drugs, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession of firearms in connection with drug trafficking offenses and having been convicted of possession of firearms.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Vicente Andres, 61, and Margaret Sutton, 51, operated a meth house on Danwood Drive in the city of Norfolk where they stored and sold imported meth and marijuana from central California to Virginia, where they also possessed firearms as part of their drug trafficking activities. A search warrant executed on April 21, 2021 recovered approximately 10 pounds of pure methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, 3 firearms, and currency from the illegal sale of narcotics. The government presented evidence that Andres had used the premises as a base for his meth operations for several years and that Sutton had joined his meth operation in early 2021.
Andres and Sutton face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for drug and firearms trafficking when they are sentenced on December 15. Actual sentences for federal crimes are generally lower than the maximum sentences. The federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Acting Norfolk Police Chief Mike Goldsmith made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young announced his verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock and Matthew J. Heck are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia website or on PACER by searching for case #2: 21-cr-74.
