Catyria Lopez-Gomez, a 43-year-old resident of Fort Collins, Colorado, has been sentenced to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after being found guilty of drug trafficking and money laundering.
According to court records, Lopez-Gomez was involved in facilitating money laundering activities for a drug trafficking organization operating in Western Colorado. Her role included recruiting individuals to assist in sending drug profits to Mexico. Additionally, she was responsible for transporting significant amounts of methamphetamine from Phoenix, Arizona, to Montrose, Colorado, where the narcotics were distributed.
U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan highlighted the seriousness of drug trafficking and its financial underpinnings as crimes against the community. Finegan expressed gratitude towards law enforcement partners for their efforts in combatting these illegal activities.
Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office, emphasized the role of IRS Special Agents in disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking networks by targeting their illicit profits used to sustain operations. Tsui reiterated the commitment of IRS-CI, along with law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to collaborate in eliminating such threats to communities.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including IRS-CI, the DEA, Montrose Police Department, Montrose County Sheriff’s Office, Seventh Judicial District Drug Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Duncan, Susan (Zeke) Knox, and Zachary Phillips handled the prosecution.
This case was a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF’s mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that pose threats to communities across the United States. OCDETF utilizes a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach involving federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to target criminal networks.
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