FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 29, 2014
Contact: Heather F. Williamson
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
20 East Market Street
Leesburg, VA 20176-2809
(703) 777-0242
HONDURAN DRUG DEALER SENTENCED
JUDGE IMPOSES 3 YEAR AND 3 MONTH SENTENCE
LEESBURG, Virginia – May 27, 2014. A thirty-nine year old Sterling man appeared before the Loudoun County Circuit Court for sentencing on two counts of distribution of cocaine. The Hon. Judge Stephen E. Sincavage sentenced Alan Orellana-Zuniga to three years and three months in the Virginia Department of Corrections.
In the fall of 2013, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office became aware of an individual distributing cocaine in Loudoun County. This individual was later identified as Alan Orellana-Zuniga. Detectives arranged for a confidential informant to purchase approximately $1,600 worth of cocaine from Orellana-Zuniga over a period of two weeks. The transactions were captured on an audio recording device and the bags of cocaine that were purchased by the confidential informant were sent to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science for analysis. Analysis revealed that the bags contained 24.236 grams of cocaine. Orellana-Zuniga was subsequently charged and arrested for distribution of cocaine.
During an interview with detectives, Orellana-Zuniga first denied selling cocaine, but subsequently admitted to selling cocaine after being presented with photographs of the cocaine recovered from the confidential informant. Additionally, Orellana-Zuniga advised detectives that he had previously been deported for distributing cocaine in California, but had reentered the United States illegally.
“If you choose to distribute illegal substances in our county, you should be prepared to pay a steep price,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Jim Plowman. “Our courts and our community have shown little tolerance for drug dealers, and my Office will continue to prosecute these types of cases to ensure that these offenders are removed from our community,” continued Plowman.
Judge Sincavage also imposed an additional six years and nine months of suspended penitentiary time. However, a federal immigration detainer has been placed on Orellana-Zuniga to ensure his removal from the country upon the completion of his three year and three month sentence.
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