United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Delton Hinderliter, 37 of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 112 months in federal prison for his role in a 10-defendant marijuana conspiracy, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Joseph M. Arabit, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Hinderliter pleaded guilty in May 2014 to conspiracy with intent to distribute a quantity exceeding 1000 kilograms of marijuana.

Hinderliter was  part of a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering organization that had existed since 2010. The drug trafficking organization, based out of the Rio Grande Valley, would hire out-of-state truck drivers to haul loads of produce with ton quantities of marijuana hidden in false compartments. Drug proceeds would then be transported back to the Rio Grande Valley. The conspiracy extended to Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina and Tennessee.

The evidence at sentencing proved that Hinderliter was a distributer of marijuana for the drug trafficking organization in Indiana.  Hinderliter’s sentence includes upward adjustments or increases in his calculated sentencing guideline range because he was found to have maintained a premises to facilitate the offloading, processing and distribution of illicit narcotics, and because he was found to be a leader within the drug trafficking organization. As part of his sentence, Hinderliter agreed to a $5 million money judgment against him. Five other individuals charged and convicted in the case were previously sentenced to terms ranging from 38-189 months in federal prison. Four others have also been convicted and are pending sentencing.

The case was the result of a nearly three-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation lead by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI; Sheriff’s Offices in Cameron and Zapata Counties; Hildalgo County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force; Border Patrol and the Brownsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel Castro is prosecuting the case.