Fentanyl trafficking suspects out on bond
Priscilla Gomez, Gustavo Gomez and Carlos Marsical, pictured from left, are accused of trafficking 50 lbs. of fentanyl. They were arrested in Downey. (Booking photos)
The two men allegedly involved in the trio of accused fentanyl dealers in Downey are scheduled to have their preliminary hearing on June 16 after the defendants and plaintiff agreed to the date during a hearing on April 16.
The two defendants – Carlos Manuel Mariscal, 37, and Gustavo Omar Gomez, 47, both of Huntington Park – were arrested on Jan. 22, after the Downey Police Department found they allegedly possessed more than 50 pounds of fentanyl in an apartment within the city, according to local and state officials.
Mariscal is facing two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance, one count of possession of a silencer and another count of unlawful possession of ammunition prohibited by a prior conviction. If convicted, he faces 31 years and eight months in prison. He was being held on $60,000 bail.
Gustavo Omar Gomez has two counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance and faces 24 years in prison if convicted as charged. His bail was set at $10,000.
Court documents show the two suspects were released on bond and both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Mark Lee Inaba said the DA’s office is in discovery, which is the pretrial phase where the prosecution and defense exchange evidence and information about the case.
Mariscal’s attorney, deputy public defender James Albert Gates, did not return calls for comment.
Gomez’ lawyer, bar panel attorney Sharon Paris Babakhan, insisted her client is not guilty and said the evidence in the case will show what actually happened.
The third suspect in the case, Priscilla Gomez, 43, of Torrance, is in federal custody after being recently convicted of a drug trafficking charge. She will be arraigned later concerning the county case, according to the DA’s office.
She and Gustavo Omar Gomez are siblings, the DA’s office confirmed.
She faces three counts of possession for sale of a controlled substance and a single count of sale, transportation or offer to sell a controlled substance. She is being held on $35,000 bail and could spend 28 years in prison if convicted as charged.
As per previous Downey Patriot reporting, the charges against the three suspects were announced during a press conference where Downey Police Chief Scott Loughner joined Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
An investigation between the California Department of Justice’s Fentanyl Enforcement Program and the Downey Police Department discovered the cache of fentanyl in a car driven by Priscilla Gomez and inside the Downey apartment on Jan. 22, said the district attorney’s office.
“We had some reliable information to know about Priscilla Gomez’s role as a courier prior to the traffic stop,” said Bonta. “In ongoing conversations with her, she led us to the apartment where we were able to identify the ongoing operation with the other defendants, and there were cartel elements at the apartment.”
In total, the department’s “biggest bust yet” included - in addition to the 50 lbs. (20 kilograms) of fentanyl - five kilograms of heroin, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, a kilogram of cocaine, narcotics packaging and two firearm suppressors, according to the attorney general.
The approximate street value of the seized fentanyl, if sold by the gram, would be between $453,000 and $1.36 million, according to a press release from the district attorney’s office.
Bonta said the amount of powdered fentanyl the department seized would have been enough to make 14 million doses of fentanyl.
The attorney general said at the beginning of the press conference the trio were allegedly involved in “cartel activity.” He did not verify which “cartel elements” were found in the apartment, but said certain decor some cartels are known for such as symbols and insignias were present.
Hochman said the alleged connection to the cartel would relate to the source of the drugs, and “the cartel connection will be developed as the evidence is presented in court.”
A pattern for synthesizing fentanyl is through the raw resources from China that are pressed in Mexico and come over the border, according to Bonta. However, he said, the investigation is still ongoing.