CAMDEN, N.J. – A member of a drug-trafficking organization today admitted conspiring to distribute illegal drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Federal officials said Jasmin Velez, 26, of Camden, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance tactics, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the inner workings of the Camden drug-trafficking organization.
The count to which Velez pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2020.
Eight other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, William Carrillo, Elisa Rivera, Ramon Velez, and Naeem Sadler – previously have pleaded guilty in this case.
The charges against 10 other defendants in this case remain pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.