Area trio charged in major meth bust
Authorities say they seized $2 million in drugs from suspects living in unincorporated Hayward
By Harry Harris, STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND — Three Hayward-area residents have been charged in one of the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force's largest seizures of methamphetamine, with a street value of almost $2 million, authorities said Thursday.
One of the suspects, Jose Miguel Flores, 25, was free on $100,000 bail pending sentencing May 4 for a federal drug conviction. The other two suspects, Matthew D. Guerrero, 26, and Beth T. Guerrero, 28, are cousins.
The suspects have been living together in a house in the 19000 block of Waverly Avenue in unincorporated Hayward.
They were arrested April 20, ending a four-month task force investigation headed by Hayward police Officer Fraser Ritchie.
Details about the case were not released until Thursday because authorities had hoped to make additional arrests, said Task Force Commander Lloyd Myers of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Myers said the three sold large amounts of methamphetamine from Oakland to Hayward and were unique in that they could fill an order of any size, selling one pound for more than $7,000.
"It's pretty rare for a dealer to fill the entire order, but they had no problem," Myers said. "They had the capability of doing way more than what we ordered."
In the course of the investigation Flores set up three transactions with a task force undercover officer, Myers said.
The first two were conducted in San Leandro — including one April 5 where Matthew Guerrero sold the undercover officer a half-pound of meth for $3,600 as Flores watched from a car, Myers said.
The biggest buy — 8 pounds on April 20 — was saved for last. After some haggling on the price — Flores wanted $7,500 a pound, but the undercover officer got it down to $7,100 a pound — it was agreed the meth would be delivered to the undercover officer at a Hegenberger Road parking lot, Myers said.
The Guerreros drove to the site in different cars, with Beth Guerrero having the drugs with her, Myers said. They were expecting to get the money but were arrested instead.
Myers said the street value of the methamphetamine seized, which was 90 percent to 100 percent pure crystal, was a minimum of $1.89 million. It was the largest seizure by the task force in the last four years and one of its largest ever.
Task force members, accompanied by Oakland Police Crime Reduction Teams commanded by Sgts. Mike Poirier and Sharon Williams, then went to the Waverly Avenue house to serve a search warrant. Flores was arrested there and $6,000 in cash was seized from a security safe box, Myers said.
The suspects are each charged with multiple felony counts of possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for sale and conspiracy to sell methamphetamine. They are scheduled to enter pleas May 2. Flores is being held in lieu of $335,000 bail, Matthew Guerrero in lieu of $295,000 and Beth Guerrero in lieu of $205,000.
Flores was one of more than a dozen suspects indicted in a 2003 federal Drug Enforcement Administration methamphetamine case where some of the key evidence was gained through wiretaps. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 26 to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and was to receive a five-year prison sentence May 4, authorities said.
Authorities say they seized $2 million in drugs from suspects living in unincorporated Hayward
By Harry Harris, STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND — Three Hayward-area residents have been charged in one of the Alameda County Narcotics Task Force's largest seizures of methamphetamine, with a street value of almost $2 million, authorities said Thursday.
One of the suspects, Jose Miguel Flores, 25, was free on $100,000 bail pending sentencing May 4 for a federal drug conviction. The other two suspects, Matthew D. Guerrero, 26, and Beth T. Guerrero, 28, are cousins.
The suspects have been living together in a house in the 19000 block of Waverly Avenue in unincorporated Hayward.
They were arrested April 20, ending a four-month task force investigation headed by Hayward police Officer Fraser Ritchie.
Details about the case were not released until Thursday because authorities had hoped to make additional arrests, said Task Force Commander Lloyd Myers of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Myers said the three sold large amounts of methamphetamine from Oakland to Hayward and were unique in that they could fill an order of any size, selling one pound for more than $7,000.
"It's pretty rare for a dealer to fill the entire order, but they had no problem," Myers said. "They had the capability of doing way more than what we ordered."
In the course of the investigation Flores set up three transactions with a task force undercover officer, Myers said.
The first two were conducted in San Leandro — including one April 5 where Matthew Guerrero sold the undercover officer a half-pound of meth for $3,600 as Flores watched from a car, Myers said.
The biggest buy — 8 pounds on April 20 — was saved for last. After some haggling on the price — Flores wanted $7,500 a pound, but the undercover officer got it down to $7,100 a pound — it was agreed the meth would be delivered to the undercover officer at a Hegenberger Road parking lot, Myers said.
The Guerreros drove to the site in different cars, with Beth Guerrero having the drugs with her, Myers said. They were expecting to get the money but were arrested instead.
Myers said the street value of the methamphetamine seized, which was 90 percent to 100 percent pure crystal, was a minimum of $1.89 million. It was the largest seizure by the task force in the last four years and one of its largest ever.
Task force members, accompanied by Oakland Police Crime Reduction Teams commanded by Sgts. Mike Poirier and Sharon Williams, then went to the Waverly Avenue house to serve a search warrant. Flores was arrested there and $6,000 in cash was seized from a security safe box, Myers said.
The suspects are each charged with multiple felony counts of possession of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine for sale and conspiracy to sell methamphetamine. They are scheduled to enter pleas May 2. Flores is being held in lieu of $335,000 bail, Matthew Guerrero in lieu of $295,000 and Beth Guerrero in lieu of $205,000.
Flores was one of more than a dozen suspects indicted in a 2003 federal Drug Enforcement Administration methamphetamine case where some of the key evidence was gained through wiretaps. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 26 to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and was to receive a five-year prison sentence May 4, authorities said.
