Alleged drug ring in Lehi run like major corporation, police say


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LEHI — A SWAT raid in family friendly Utah County exposed an operation police say was booming for all the wrong reasons — illegal drugs.

Part of the secret to the drug ring's success, according to law enforcement, had to do with where the accused set up shop and how they did business.

According to Lt. Phil Murphy, who oversees the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force, the organization was run much like a major corporation.

He compared Josue Castellanos, one of the defendants charged in the case, to a CEO. Murphy says Castellanos was responsible for directing funds, deposits and organizing payments for shipments of drugs.

"The leader of a local organization is not going to do the hand-to-hand sales. He will have a series of people below him do that," said Murphy.

Castellanos has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges against him, which include engaging in a criminal enterprise, distributing drugs and laundering money.

Murphy went on to explain the organization had an accounts receivable department, a sales staff, a security office and a transportation division. The ring allegedly used two homes in Lehi as offices and kept much of its supply in storage sheds several miles away.

According to law enforcement, the group primarily sold methamphetamine and cocaine imported from Mexico through Las Vegas and into Utah County. Documents provided by police to KSL suggest it was a tip to law enforcement that eventually led to the demise of the operation.

Prosecutors linked 13 defendants to the case and charged them with multiple crimes. With the case still pending in court, the KSL Investigators contacted attorneys for the defendants and heard back from some who said their clients have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defense attorney Greg Skordas represents one of the defendants who is accused of selling drugs for the organization.

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William Thompson has pleaded not guilty and although Skordas wouldn't discuss the case against his client, he does believe the corporate structure is becoming more common in Utah's illegal drug trade.

"The days of somebody just having a little bag of weed at their house and dividing it up into 12 portions and selling it to their 12 friends is probably very uncommon," Skordas said.

Murphy added it's likely that the group set up shop in Utah County because many of them grew up in Utah, it's a friendly place to conduct business, and when it comes to drug wars there aren't any.

"You don't see a lot of dealers or other competitive groups shooting each other here," Murphy noted.

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Debbie Dujanovic

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