Four sentenced in metro Atlanta drug trafficking case
ATLANTA - Federal prosecutors say four people are headed to prison after an investigation into a drug trafficking and money laundering operation connected to metro Atlanta and Mexico.
What we know:
Authorities said the group moved more than $1 million in drug proceeds through a Norcross money service business between September and November 2024.
According to investigators, Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel operated the business, "Pulga La Esperanza," and helped send the money to Mexico through smaller wire transfers designed to avoid detection.
Hernandez Chilel was sentenced to more than five years in prison and will be deported after serving her sentence.
Three others also received prison sentences, including Lilburn residents Jerome Lewis and Irving Joel Hernandez, who pleaded guilty to charges connected to methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation.