News Release [print-friendly version]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 02 , 2008
Contact: Casey McEnry
Number: 415-436-7994

Dos Rios Public Housing Drug Dealers Sentenced to Prison
Second Group of Dealers from Federal Sweep Sentenced Today

SEP 02 --SACRAMENTO, Calif.—United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott and Drug Enforcement Administration Special (DEA) Agent in Charge Javier F. Peña, announced today that SIOSAIA MOTUAPUAKA, 29, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr. to 10 years in prison. MOTUAPUAKA pleaded guilty on June 23, 2008 to distributing over 50 grams of crack cocaine. In addition, LARRY D. BEVERLY, Jr., 32, of Sacramento, was also sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Frank C. Damrell, Jr. to four years in prison. BEVERLY pleaded guilty on February 4, 2008 to possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of crack cocaine.

MOTUAPUAKA and BEVERLY were among five defendants indicted on federal drug charges as a result of a joint investigation by the DEA and the Sacramento Police Department’s Problem Oriented Policing (POP) officers, who are designated to remove drug dealers from the Dos Rios Housing Complex located off of inbound SR 160, between 12th Street and Richards Boulevard.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Anne Pings, who prosecuted the cases, defendant MOTUAPUAKA admitted to making several crack cocaine sales to an undercover DEA agent in parking lots at various locations, including Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on Florin Road in Sacramento and Walgreen’s on Laguna Boulevard in Elk Grove. Some of the sales were for quantities over $2,000 each. During one of the sales, MOTUAPUAKA told the undercover DEA agent that he was making more money selling Oxycontin, a Schedule III prescription medication, than he was making selling crack cocaine, and informed the agent that he was selling multiple-hundred quantities of Oxycontin pills every few days. MOTUAPUAKA asked the agent if he knew anyone who could supply him with Oxycontin pills and offered to trade crack cocaine for a supply of Oxycontin pills. In the parking lot of the 24-Hour Fitness Center on Bruceville Road in Elk Grove, Calif., on June 1, 2007, MOTUAPUAKA handed the undercover agent 198.2 grams of crack cocaine, expecting to receive a large quantity of Oxycontin pills in exchange. He was placed under arrest at that time. Upon execution of a search warrant at MOTUAPUAKA’s residence, agents located crack cocaine, marijuana, a digital scale, cash, and a .22 caliber handgun.

In sentencing the defendant to 10 years, Judge Damrell stated that the defendant’s drug sales wreaked havoc on many individuals and destroyed many lives. The judge said that no matter what image the defendant tried to portray in the community, he was nonetheless a very serious drug trafficker selling many kinds of drugs and going back many years.

BEVERLY admitted in his guilty plea that he had made several sales of crack cocaine to an undercover DEA informant at the McDonald’s restaurant on Richards Boulevard in Sacramento. In addition, on the day of his arrest in June 2007, BEVERLY showed up for an arranged meeting to sell crack cocaine to the informant for approximately $1,400. At that time, he was found to have crack cocaine concealed on his person and more crack cocaine and marijuana concealed in his car.
Two other defendants arrested in this operation were sentenced previously. BRIAN PARKER, who lived in the Dos Rios complex, was sentenced to five years in prison. MATAE MALAE, who was also a resident of the Dos Rios complex, was sentenced to three years in prison.

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