A Mexican citizen will be sentenced Monday for his role in a drug trafficking organization that marketed pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl in Pennsylvania, California and Hawaii.
Pedro Orlando Murillo- Ramos, 41, aka “Maclovio,” entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice on Feb. 3 to plead guilty to conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin.
In exchange for his guilty plea, federal prosecutors will drop two drug distribution charges against Murillo- Ramos at sentencing.
He faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a fine of up to $10 million. After he gets out, Murillo-Ramos will be on probation for at least five years.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Monday at 1:30 p.m. before the Senior U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case.
Murillo-Ramos is represented by defense attorney Michael Green and is navigating court with the help of a Spanish interpreter.
He is in custody at the Federal Detention Center, Honolulu ahead of sentencing.
According to a June 29, 2023, indictment, Murillo- Ramos conspired with George Nick Zamudio, 39, aka “Joker,” to possess and sell methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin from November 2021 to until May 9, 2022.
On Feb. 27, Seabright sentenced Zamudio, who was on probation when he was arrested, to 11 years in federal prison followed by five years of probation.
Zamudio must disassociate “from the South Side, Calle UVA, Watts, TWS, and 107 gangs, and must not voluntarily and intentionally associate with any individual whom you know is associated with the South Side, Calle UVA, Watts, TWS, and 107 gangs or any other gangs that are involved in criminal activities,” according to federal court documents.
During March and April 2022, federal law enforcement used an informant who was a customer of Murillo- Ramos and Zamudio to conduct “a series of controlled purchases from the defendant and Zamudio,” according to the plea agreement.
Working from the East Coast, the informant communicated with Murillo- Ramos and Zamudio by phone and written messages to set up the shipping of “wholesale quantities of controlled substances to addresses in Hawaii and Pennsylvania.”
Murillo-Ramos and Zamudio shipped methamphetamine to Hawaii and cocaine, fentanyl and heroin to Pennsylvania.
Federal law enforcement seized the methamphetamine, about 8,779 grams, a little more than 19 pounds.
In May 2022, Zamudio flew from California to Pennsylvania to “collect more than $100,000 owed by the informant” and was arrested by federal law enforcement.
In a February letter to Seabright, Zamudio described the abuse, violence and trauma that defined his childhood. He apologized to the court and community for dealing drugs.
“I will use the time behind bars to better myself as a man and to become a great father I never had and always envisioned myself being to my children and also to my nephew. I also still keep in contact with my step-daughters and give them good advice every time they reach out to me. My immediate goal in life is to be productive and to stay out of trouble while I’m in prison,” wrote Zamudio. “While in prison, I have been clean and sober and I like how that makes me feel about myself. It made me love myself. I will continue to live this clean and sober life as now I realize this is a great lifestyle. I want to leave prison and stay out of prison. I can do this by staying away from alcohol and drugs and staying away from bad people and negative influences. I need to focus on getting employed and what’s important — my family. I know I have a lot to make up for.”
