Tony Granado, 68, of El Paso, Texas, and Richard Moquete, 35, of
Philadelphia, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a
cocaine trafficking operation that brought at least 1,500 kilograms of cocaine
to the streets of Philadelphia, announced United States Attorney Zane David
Memeger. Granado was sentenced today to 360 months in prison; Moquete was
sentenced yesterday to 324 months in prison. The two were convicted at trial in
January of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine,
possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and
distribution of five kilograms or more of cocaine.
As the evidence in the trial revealed, Moquete was selling cocaine for a
Mexican-based drug trafficking organization and was the organization’s only
cocaine distributor in Philadelphia. He was was personally responsible for the
distribution of hundreds, if not thousands, of kilograms of cocaine and the
return of millions of dollars in cocaine proceeds. Granado was intimately
involved in the operations of the Mexican-based cocaine trafficking organization
and, by his own admission, recruited numerous truck drivers for various
individuals in El Paso, Texas who were responsible for the transportation of the
cocaine that was sent from Mexico. One of those truck drivers, Peter Singh, took
numerous trips for Granado to deliver cocaine to Philadelphia and Dayton, Ohio.
On the last trip before his arrest on July 14, 2006, Singh had almost 14
kilograms of cocaine and $831,880 cash hidden in his tractor. Granado met Singh
before each trip and gave him the cocaine, including the cocaine that was seized
on July 14, 2006.
Granado also flew to New York to help facilitate cocaine sales by introducing
the organization to a customer, overseeing the sales, overseeing the money
pickup, and helping transport the money back to Texas. The evidence at trial
demonstrated quite clearly that Granado was personally responsible for the
distribution of hundreds, if not thousands, of kilograms of cocaine and his
co-conspirators were responsible for the distribution of additional thousands of
kilograms of cocaine.
As the trial evidence showed, defendant Moquete was selling cocaine for a
Mexican-based drug trafficking organization and would typically meet members of
the organization at a home he owned at 6308 Jackson Street in Philadelphia.
Moquete would pay for the cocaine on a rolling basis by providing hundreds of
thousands of dollars cash at a time and where he would also usually take
delivery of the cocaine. The trial jury heard testimony from witnesses who
personally delivered cocaine to and picked up money from Moquete. Evidence
included surveillance, both visual and video, of defendant Moquete meeting with
members of the organization and handing over duffel bags. It included GPS
evidence showing defendant Moquete’s vehicles at 6308 Jackson Street as the same
time as vehicles driven by co-conspirators. It included a recorded conversation
between defendant Moquete and the informant in which defendant Moquete quite
clearly discussed his cocaine trafficking and the money he was paying for the
cocaine.
In addition to the prison terms, U.S. District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond
ordered 10 years’ supervised release and a $300 special assessment for Granado,
and five years’ supervised release and a $500 special assessment for
Moquete.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and
the Philadelphia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States
Attorneys Michael S. Lowe and Sozi P. Tulante.
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