York man sentenced for role in drug ring

HARRISBURG- A York man was sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in a cocaine and heroin ring in York County.
According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Daniel Pacheco-Morales, age 44, of York, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Yvette Kane indicated during sentencing that the violence associated with his activities and his long history of drug trafficking separated him from the other defendants sentenced in the prosecution of Latin Kings in York.
On April 6, 2015, the day of his scheduled jury trial, Daniel Pacheco-Morales entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute heroin from 2011 to 2013. He also admitted to his participation in conspiracy to distribute heroin throughout York. He later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, but the court denied his request.
Pacheco-Morales’s sentence is the culmination of a multi-year investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police and the York County Drug Task Force, into the Latin King Street Gang in York. In that investigation, hundreds of purchases of heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine were made from over one hundred individuals in York, and resulted in the arrest of most of those individuals in a sweep that began on February 6, 2013. Thereafter, the United States Attorney’s Office indicted fifteen individuals for leadership roles in the heroin and cocaine trafficking, including Daniel Pacheco-Morales.
As part of this larger investigation, the United States charged multiple others affiliated with the distribution of heroin and cocaine in York. The other cases are as follows:
• Angel Mendez-Castro, age 27, of York and Puerto Rico, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to import and distribute kilograms of heroin and cocaine. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
• Christian Mendez-Castro, a/k/a “King Rampage,” age 22, of York and Puerto Rico, entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.
• Hector Castro-Padro, age 22, of Puerto Rico and York, entered a guilty plea drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.
• William Ortiz, age 53, or York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On August 21, 2014, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Luis Angel Ortiz, a/k/a “C Lo,” age 31, of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On April 15, 2014, he was sentenced to twelve (12) years and six (6) months in prison.
• Jose Cartegena, Jr., a/k/a “Warrior,” age 35, of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On April 28, 2014, he was sentenced to five (5) years in prison.
• Marcus Garcia, a/k/a “King Paradise,” age 28, of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On September 5, 2014, he was sentenced to six (6) years and five (5) months in prison.
• David Ramsey, a/k/a “King Knuckles,” age 32, of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On December 9, 2014, he was sentenced to five (5) years in prison.
• Carlos Villalongo-Martinez, age 38 of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On July 29, 2014, he was sentenced to two (2) years in prison.
• Brandon Jones, age 27, of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On June 3, 2014, he was sentenced to six (6) years in prison.
• Antonio Navarro-Garcia, a/k/a “King Trigger,” age 22 of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On November 25, 2014, he was sentenced to five (5) years in prison.
• Michael Enriquez, a/k/a “King Rage,” age 30, of Camden, New Jersey, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking. On January 27, 2015, he was sentenced to ten (10) years in prison.
• Hector Rengifo, age 40, of York, entered a guilty plea to drug trafficking on August 4, 2014. He was sentenced to ten (10) years in prison.
• August Ranalli, age 31, of York, was convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy after bench trial. He was sentenced to twelve (12) years in prison.
Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Consiglio.