PHOENIX – The last of 15 members of the Creekside Chicanos gang heroin ring, Jaime Rene Calderon, 28, was sentenced to three concurrent terms of 150 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Calderon was nabbed in a joint law enforcement effort, Operation Blackwater in 2017.
In December 2019, a federal jury found Calderon guilty of three counts of aiding and abetting the sale of heroin on three separate occasions.
Operation Blackwater was conducted by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an approximately two year period.
Operation Blackwater focused on the heroin trade in the Prescott and Prescott Valley areas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
While incarcerated at the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry in 2017 for an unrelated offense, Calderon recruited two associates outside the prison to sell heroin for profit, according to evidence presented at trial.
In addition to Calderon, the following individuals were previously convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and sentenced as follows:
- Adrian Anderson, 38: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; September 9, 2019; CR-18-8125-PCT-SMB
- Erbey Balderaz, III, 34: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 31 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 14, 2018; CR-17-8232-PCT-JJT
- Angela Blackwater, 46: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to time served followed by three years of supervised release; April 30, 2018;
- Alisia Gamez, 26: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 14, 2018;
- Nicholas Cowan, 33: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; April 2, 2018;
- John Delgado, 33: Sentenced to U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; October 29, 2018;
- Andre Enciso, 37: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release; March 19, 2018;
- Lisa Gazzam, 40: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; April 29, 2019;
- Veronica James, 39: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release; September 10, 2018;
- Craig Livermore, 35: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to three years of probation; January 11, 2019;
- Bryant Montoya, 26: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; June 4, 2018;
- Marcos Ochoa, 24: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; August 22, 2018;
- Yeni Guevara Solis, 28: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 14, 2018;
- Evangeline Wilson, 32: Sentenced by U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; May 21, 2018;