Drug Kingpin Sentenced to 20 Years
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SAN DIEGO — A man accused of operating one of the nation’s largest cocaine and marijuana distribution networks was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Omar Rocha Soto, 39, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to operating a continuing criminal enterprise, which prosecutors call a “kingpin” charge. The plea agreement allowed him to avoid a life sentence.
Rocha was arrested Aug. 17 as part of a federal investigation that resulted in 102 indictments in more than a dozen cities.
The FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency said Rocha’s network was one of the 20 largest smuggling organizations in the United States.
Rocha’s wife, Adrian Espinoza, 29, also pleaded guilty to a drug charge. She is awaiting sentencing.
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