John Washburn, general manager of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings in El Cajon, and three employees, made their first appearances in federal court March 28 to face immigration charges stemming from a search warrant that was served by federal agents at the property March 27.
Sergio Humberto Ramos, 73, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, admitting that he was paid to store the drugs at a trucking yard near Nogales until they could be transported.
Noe Gonzalez-Martinez, also known as Tocayo, 41, will serve the rest of his life plus 60 months in federal prison for his role in multiple convictions related to a murder-for-hire scheme that brought three sicarios, or hitmen, across the U.S. border into Laredo.
Nicholes Scott Newman, 42, of Hilliard, was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
Antonio Espinoza Zarate, 55, also known as “El Gato,” and his son, Francisco Javier Espinoza Galindo, 31, were arrested and charged in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.