Mar 5, 2008 4:10 pm US/Pacific
Suspect In Bay Area Meth Ring Turns Himself In
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) ―
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FBI agents arrest a suspect in an alleged methamphetamine ring in San Jose on February 27th.
CBS
A 35-year-old San Francisco man who was wanted in connection with a San Jose-based methamphetamine ring that was dismantled last week turned himself into authorities Monday, a FBI spokesman said Wednesday.
Richard Parodi turned himself into to his attorney's office in San Francisco and was then taken into custody by U.S. marshals, FBI spokesman Joseph Schadler said.
Parodi was indicted along with 13 other people on charges of conspiring to distribute and distributing methamphetamine.
FBI agents arrested one person Feb. 26 and 11 people Feb. 27 in San Jose, San Francisco, Gilroy and Stockton. The officers seized 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine and $45,000 in cash, U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello said.
Schadler said the methamphetamine operation was "a family run organization."
All 14 defendants are accused of conspiring in 2007 to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and maximum sentence of life in prison if they are convicted. They are also accused of additional counts of distributing the drug and possessing it with intent to distribute it.
Russoniello said the investigation took nearly two years and was carried out by a task force that included the FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force and San Jose and San Francisco police departments.
Officers seized more than 6 pounds of pure methamphetamine during the investigation, he said.
One suspect, Roberto Zaragoza Ruiz, 29, of San Jose, remains at large and is thought to be in Mexico, Schadler said.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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