COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Three defendants identified in connection to multiple cocaine conspiracy cases, including a trafficking organization leader, were sentenced in federal court. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, lead defendant Herminio Gonzalez-Quintana was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that shipped tens of kilograms of cocaine into Columbus from Puerto Rico. Gonzalez-Quintana, along with several coconspirators, was indicted in November 2023 and charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute bulk amounts of cocaine. The U.S. District Court handed down its sentence last week. Incoming Ohio law to raise penalties for driving under the influence Court documents state that the Drug Enforcement Agency began investigating the organization in 2021, when large volumes of cocaine were transported into Ohio. The defendants sourced cocaine through Puerto Rico and shipped the drugs in two- or three-kilogram increments via the postal service and into the Columbus area. The shipments were received at the homes of friends or family members, who were using fictitious recipient names. The coconspirators then redistributed the cocaine from central Ohio. In total, nearly 20 kilograms of cocaine was seized from the organization. Two others were sentenced last week, including Josaias Vazques-Pinero, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison, and Anthony Miranda-Gonzalez, who received a one year and one day prison sentence. The three defendants were among eight total arrested, charged and convicted within the organization. NameSentence Herminio Gonzalez-Quintana120 months in prisonAbdel Padilla-Montero108 months in prisonJosaias Vazquez-Pinero60 months in prisonJonathan Vega-Iglesias66 months in prisonJesus Maldonado-Ortiz60 months in prisonRafael Alicea-Ruiz60 months in prisonAnthony Miranda-Gonzalez12 months and one day in prisonPablo Joel Velazquez-TorruellaTime served