News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2004
For more information contact:
Jeff Dorschner 303-454-0243

Denver Criminal Defense Lawyer and Others Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution

DENVER - John Suthers, United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, and Jeffrey D. Sweetin, Special Agent in Charge of the Rocky Mountain Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, announced that Denver criminal defense lawyer FELIX DONALD GARCIA, age 58, of Westminster, Colorado, was sentenced today to 66 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Edward W. Nottingham for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. GARCIA’s son, JAVIER GARCIA, age 27, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 48 months and ALVARO SOLIS, age 28, of Mexico, was sentenced to 120 months by Judge Nottingham for also participating in the illegal cocaine distribution.

FELIX and JAVIER GARCIA were arrested on February 26, 2004. ALVARO SOLIS was arrested on March 1, 2004. The three were then indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on March 8, 2004. On May 11, 2004 all three defendants pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

According to the original arrest affidavit, on December 24, 2004 the DEA received a tip from a confidential source that FELIX GARCIA was facilitating drug trafficking. The confidential source revealed that FELIX GARCIA was the source’s lawyer on a pending federal drug case. According to the affidavit, after the confidential source retained a second lawyer, federal prosecutors and the DEA met with the source and his/her second lawyer.

The source provided authorities with historical information about drug dealing, detailing FELIX and JAVIER GARCIA’s involvement, as well as that of SOLIS. After the U.S. District Court modified the confidential source’s terms and conditions of bond to allow the confidential source to work proactively with law enforcement, the DEA began working with the source to develop the investigation.

The source told authorities that FELIX GARCIA introduced him/her to ALVARO SOLIS, who was the main cocaine supplier from Mexico. The source said that for more than a year he/she purchased from SOLIS between five to seven kilograms of cocaine each month, paying $18,000 to $19,000 per kilogram. The source also indicated a finders fee was paid to JAVIER GARCIA for each kilogram of cocaine, per FELIX GARCIA’s request.

The confidential source was arrested in 2003 and later decided to cooperate with authorities, which resulted in the call to the DEA about the GARCIAS’ and SOLIS. After meeting with federal prosecutors and the DEA, the source met with FELIX GARCIA and/or JAVIER GARCIA on a number of occasions to discuss the purchase of cocaine and also to negotiate to purchase quantities of methamphetamine. During the subsequent investigation authorities observed JAVIER GARCIA go to FELIX GARCIA’s law office to obtain a kilogram of cocaine from SOLIS. JAVIER GARCIA was then seen leaving the law office, driving directly to meet the confidential source, where he delivered the kilogram of cocaine, which subsequently tested to be 90 percent pure.

This case was investigated by Special Agents and Special Federal Officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA received assistance from a special agent of the Internal Revenue Service, the Aurora Police Department and the Denver Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Bernie Hobson, who is the head of the Drug Task Force for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.

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