Linton police help with big drug bust

Ivan Rea, 34, Indianapolis, also known as Oscar Camacho-Diaz, also known as Michoacan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Larry J. McKinney following his conviction at a federal trial.

The arrest and conviction of Rea is no small case.

A press release by Timothy M. Morrison, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, says Rea, along with co-defendant Jose Luis Medina, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine -- in extremely large quantities, and in engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.

Agencies involved in the investigation included the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshal's Service, Metro Drug Task Force of the Indianapolis Police Department, Indiana State Police, Vigo County Drug Task Force, Vincennes Police Department, Linton Police Department, Clay County Sheriff's Department and the Parke County Sheriff's Department.

LPD Chief Troy Jerrell commended Lt. Det. Duane Collenbaugh and Narcotics Det. Josh Goodman for the role they played in bringing a major dealer to justice.

"Although this case was long and drawn out, I am proud the Linton Police Department was able to play a role in this investigation and assist in getting this amount of drugs off the streets," said Jerrell.

Prior to the release of information from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Linton Police Department was not at liberty to release any details to the public about their involvement.

"We've been working on this for a long time but we couldn't say anything," said Collenbaugh, "not until it was over and the federal authorities released the information."

Jerrell said he hears comments that sometimes these kinds of cases don't result in a conviction or a very long sentence.

"This is one where the investigative work resulted in Rea being sentenced to life in prison without parole. Officers worked with these other agencies to build a case against Rea for trafficking methamphetamine and shut down this supply line."

Rea was accused of distributing over 3,000 pounds of meth during the course of the conspiracy.

Testimony during Rea's trial established that Rea directed the activities of a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking organization that operated along the Interstate 70 corridor from Indianapolis to Terre Haute from August 2005, through Feb. 20, 2007.

During that time period, Rea received approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine from his sources in Denver, Colo., every two weeks.

Rea directed some of his methamphetamine trafficking associates to "cut" the meth with dimethylsulfone, a horse feeding supplement commonly used to cut meth. Rea typically cut each shipment of meth that he received from Denver with at least 40 pounds of the supplement resulting in a total product of 80 pounds.

Rea used drug runners to distribute the meth to distributors who worked for him in Indianapolis. The distributors in turn dealt the meth to other dealers along the corridor.

The co-defendant Medina was one of Rea's principal dealers in Indianapolis. Trial testimony established Medina received approximately three pounds of meth per week from Rea. Medina initially operated a tire store located on W. Washington St. in Indianapolis but when he ran into difficulty paying his meth debt to Rea, Rea took the store over.

Rea named his newly acquired tire store "El Diamante Tire Shop" and re-opened it. "El Diamante" translates from Spanish to English as "The Diamond." During the trial, testimony established that he named it "El Diamante" because of the similarity in physical appearance between meth and diamonds and that Rea had become wealthy selling meth.

The release of information from the U.S. Attorney's Office said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had traced the following seizures of methamphetamine in Greene County to the Rea organization:

* 56.5 grams (approx. two ounces) seized during a controlled purchase from Lori Stewart in Jasonville on March 10, 2007

* 0.14 grams seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence of Chuck Wilson in Jasonville on March 15, 2007

* 27.9 grams (approximately one ounce) seized during a controlled purchase from Steven Nicholas in Linton on March 15, 2007

* 223.4 (approximately 7.5 ounces) seized from a search at the residence of Steven Nicholas in rural Lyons on March 15, 2007

Other seizures listed included: 265.3 grams (approximately 9 ounces) from a traffic stop of Seferino Rodriguez in Indianapolis on Feb. 13, 2006; 303.8 grams (approximately 11 ounces) seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence of Donald Pruett in Clinton on Aug. 17, 2006; 430.7 grams (approximately one pound) seized from a vehicle in Terre Haute on Jan. 25, 2007; 167.3 grams (approximately 5.5 ounces) seized from William Schatz and Brian Smith at the Howard Johnson's motel in Brazil on Jan. 25, 2007; 441 grams (approximately one pound) seized from a vehicle used by Brian Smith in Terre Haute on Jan. 25, 2007; two grams seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence of Jason Swearingen in Rockville on Aug. 25, 2006; .44 grams seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence of Terri Sawyer in Richmond on Nov. 17, 2006; 437.4 grams (approximately one pound) seized from a controlled purchase from Jose Nunez at the El Diamante Tire Shop on Feb. 20, 2007; 866 grams (approximately two pounds) seized from a traffic stop of Jose Nunez near the El Diamante Tire Shop on Feb. 20, 2007; 6,541 grams (approximately 15 pounds) seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence of Jose Nunez and Edgar Badillo-Rangel on N. Gerrard Ave. in Indianapolis; and 390.79 grams (approximately 14 ounces) seized during the execution of a search warrant at the residence of William Dunlop of Indianapolis on March 13, 2007.

All of the subjects in the above-referenced seizures were prosecuted and convicted in federal court in the Southern District of Indiana with the exception of William Dunlop who was prosecuted and convicted in a Marion County court.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley A. Blackington prosecuted the case for the government.