Four Men Admit to Meth, Heroin Distribution in Burlington and Ocean Counties

Trenton, NJ -- Four men have pleaded guilty to their part in the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin in Burlington and Ocean counties, Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said on Monday.

The following four men pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels in Ocean County on Monday:

• Guadalupe Madrigal-Mejia, 36, of New Egypt (Plumsted Township, Ocean County), aka “Lupe,” pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree distribution of heroin. The state will recommend that he be sentenced to 10 years in state prison.
• Elias Corona-Sanchez, 31, of North Hanover, aka “Peligro,” also pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree distribution of heroin and will face a recommended sentence of 10 years in state prison.
• Juan Mendez, 48, of New Egypt, pleaded guilty to second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute. The state will recommend that he be sentenced to seven years in state prison.
• Antonio Esqueda, 34, of New Egypt, pleaded guilty to third-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The state will recommend that he be sentenced to five years in state prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 15.

A fifth defendant, Juan Gutierrez-Valencia, 25, of Pemberton Township, was charged in a separate indictment with first-degree possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, conspiracy and various gun charges.

He was indicted along with the four men on Dec. 5, 2014.

He has also been indicted on charges including aggravated assault for allegedly striking and injuring two state troopers with a car while trying to flee from the State Police during an alleged methamphetamine transaction in Mount Laurel in July of 2014.

Charges are pending in his case, but the state trooper who fired at him has already been cleared of any wrongdoing in the case.

Gutierrez-Valencia was arrested on July 7, 2014 at a hotel on Fellowship Road in Mt. Laurel.

He met an undercover detective who said he would purchase two kilograms of crystal meth from him.

Guttierez-Valencia intended to make the sale in his car, but once the undercover detectivewas shown a large amount of methamphetamine in a black gym bag, he signaled members of the State Police TEAMS Unit to arrest Gutierrez-Valencia.

The detective had already exited the car when Gutierrez-Valencia allegedly tried to flee, driving his vehicle toward several troopers.

One trooper fired at Gutierrez-Valencia, who suffered a non-fatal gunshot wound to his arm.

Investigators arrested Gutierrez-Valencia and executed a search warrant for the vehicle, seizing two kilograms of methamphetamine and a stolen 9mm handgun.

The other four defendants were arrested the following day at the house where Madrigal-Mejia lived with Mendez and Esqueda on Jacobstown Road in New Egypt.

The undercover detective allegedly had arranged to buy two kilograms of black tar heroin from Corona-Sanchez and Madrigal-Mejia at the house for a price of $65,000 per kilo.

However, when Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez allegedly showed the undercover detective the heroin, the detective signaled members of the State Police TEAMS Unit to make arrests and execute a search warrant at the house.

Mendez, who allegedly had supplied the two kilograms of heroin, was arrested in a vehicle outside the house.

Esqueda was arrested in his bedroom, where investigators found a quantity of cocaine.

Investigators found other amounts of cocaine, including some that were packaged for distribution, in the kitchen and in hall closets.

They also found a digital scale, a heat sealer and packaging materials in a common area of the house.

Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez were also charged with first-degree distribution of methamphetamine in an incident on May 2 of this year, in which an undercover detective purchased a half-kilogram of crystal meth outside a convenience store on Route 130 in Florence.

The drugs were allegedly delivered to the detective by an unnamed co-conspirator, who allegedly delivered the purchase price of $15,000 to Madrigal-Mejia and Corona-Sanchez, who were parked nearby.

The arrests were made following an undercover investigation dubbed “Operation: Speed Racer,” and conducted by the New Jersey State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and Ewing Township Police Department.

The attached images of Guadalupe Madrigal-Mejia, Elias Corona-Sanchez, Juan Mendez and Antonio Esqueda were provided by the Attorney General’s Office