DEA nets 9 in alleged Aspen cocaine ring, 1 at large

Federal agents have apprehended nine people, six of them from Aspen, accusing them with trafficking copious quantities of cocaine to this ritzy ski resort over the last 15 years.

In all, 10 defendants were charged in a sealed indicted returned by a federal grand jury in Denver on April 19.

Nine of the 10 defendants were arrested Thursday and one man is at large.

“Thanks to the hard work of the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the HIDTA Two Rivers Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), Aspen cocaine dealers have been arrested, significantly reducing the supply of cocaine in that community,” U.S. Attorney John Walsh said in a prepared statement issued on Friday.

The defendants include:

Joan Anastasi, 67, of Aspen
Valentin Barrios, 42, of Los Angeles
Anthony Buchanan, 67, of Los Angeles
Joseph James Burke, 63, of Aspen
Alfonso Elvao-Allocati, 70, of Los Angeles
Jack Fellner, 60, of Aspen
Wayne Alan Reid, 65, of Aspen
Peggy Schlaugher, 41, of Aspen
Christopher James Sheehan, 65, of Aspen
Jesse Trujillo, 33, of Los Angeles (fugitive)

Authorities accuse the defendants of allegedly distributing more than 5 kilograms of cocaine in the Aspen area during the course of their one-year investigation and of transporting and distributing over 200 kilograms of cocaine into Aspen over the past 15 years.

The indictment said $175,614 in cash was seized during the investigation, along with more than $2 million in alleged drug-related property.

“This operation dealt a significant blow to a major drug trafficking organization with potential ties to the violent cartels that have murdered thousands in Mexico,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Merrill. “These arrests make Aspen and its surrounding communities safer by taking significant amounts of drugs off the street and putting violent criminals behind bars. [The] DEA and its partners will continue to attack those drug pushers who threaten our neighborhoods and streets.”

If convicted of the maximum penalty, each defendant faces not less than 10 years, and up to life in federal prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

River Name / Location	Stream flow, ft3/s	Gage height ft
Gore Creek
At Upper Station, Near I-70 Twin Bridges	n/a	4 ft
Booth Creek	n/a	4 ft
Abv Red Sandstone Creek At Vail	199	6 ft
At Mouth Near Minturn	225	7 ft
Beaver Creek
At Avon	21	2 ft
Lake Creek
Near Edwards	79	1 ft
Cross Creek
Near Minturn	98	4 ft
Homestake Creek
At Gold Park	127	5 ft
Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River Near Climax	n/a	2 ft
At Red Cliff	30	3 ft
Near Minturn	234	4 ft
Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon	671	5 ft
Below Gypsum	826	5 ft
Colorado River
Near Kremmling	402	4 ft
Near Dotsero	1,620	3 ft
Below Glenwood Springs	3,080	5 ft
Near Cameo	3,740	6 ft
Below Grand Valley Div Nr Palisade	2,160	5 ft
Near Colorado-utah State Line	4,080	4 ft
Near Cisco, Ut	4,100	3 ft
At Lees Ferry, Az	12,100	9 ft
Near Grand Canyon, Az	12,000	9 ft
Yuma Main Canal Ww At Yuma, Az	997	10 ft
Roaring Fork River
Abv Lost Man Cr Near Aspen	n/a	n/a ft
Ab Difficult C Nr Aspen	53	1 ft
Near Aspen	77	1 ft
Near Emma	464	6 ft
At Glenwood Springs	1,150	3 ft
Hunter Creek
Near Aspen	57	2 ft
At Aspen	49	4 ft
Frying Pan River
Near Ruedi	111	2 ft
Crystal River
Abv Avalanche Crk, Near Redstone	610	2 ft
Arkansas River
Ef Arkansas R At Us Highway 24, Nr Leadville	46	3 ft
Near Leadville	85	5 ft
Below Empire Gulch Near Malta	156	3 ft
Below Granite	453	4 ft
Near Nathrop	451	4 ft
At Parkdale	469	3 ft