JURY FINDS 6 GUILTY IN DRUG CASE

A federal court jury convicted Miguel Angel "Mike" Quintanilla, his wife
and four others Tuesday night for their roles in an operation that funneled
methamphetamine from Mexico to Southern Indiana. All six defendants were
convicted of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of
methamphetamine.

The 41-year-old Quintanilla and two key associates, Leonel "Wicho" Moreno
Jr., 28, and Alfredo "Cachetes" Ceballos, 27, were convicted of money
laundering in connection with dealing in a controlled substance. They could
face life in prison.

Quintanilla also was found guilty of conspiracy, as were his wife, Deneise,
32; Abelardo Lalo-Mendoza, 23; and Alan Martinez-Guzman, 27. The conspiracy
conviction carries a sentence of 10 years to life.

Prosecutors said Mendoza and Guzman, who had been living in Princeton,
Ind., were lower-level distributors of drugs they received from Ceballos,
who lived in Oaktown, Ind. According to testimony, drug runners from
Quintanilla's home sometimes met Ceballos at the Holiday Inn in Vincennes,
Ind. Ceballos would give them money that the "mule" would return to
Quintanilla.

The government's case charged the conspiracy brought some 25 pounds of
"crank" into Southern Indiana, which federal drug agents say netted
conspirators about $30,000 a pound.

The jury returned to the courtroom with the verdicts shortly after 9 p.m.,
five hours after receiving the case.

Deneise Quintanilla sobbed after the verdict was read. Her husband,
appearing drained at the conclusion of the eight-day trial, sat across the
defense table and showed little emotion - as did the other defendants.

The couple later embraced while standing in front of the jury box as they
and the other four prisoners waited for U.S. marshals to take them away.

Jurors apparently found convincing the prosecution's collection of wiretaps
related to drug trafficking in which Deneise Quintanilla participated.
Terri Nichols, who pleaded guilty to reduced charges in exchange for
testimony about how she ran drugs between the Quintanilla home and
Vincennes, said she had seen Deneise Quintanilla helping her husband wrap
methamphetamine.

U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young told attorneys on the case that
sentencing would be scheduled in "no sooner than 70 days."

The jury began deliberations after hearing Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley
Blackington's sometimes blistering reply to final arguments from six
defense attorneys.

Starting just before noon, the succession of defenders had attempted to
blast away at what one of them called a "mountain" of evidence presented by
Blackington and colleague Major Coleman.

The evidence included scores of wiretaps, eight undercover buys, video
surveillance and testimony by participants in the drug operation who
exchanged pleas for testimony.

Defense attorneys hammered at the credibility of four meth-involved
"snitches" who pleaded guilty in deals for reduced sentences in exchange
for their testimony.

"They don't have a case without the snitches," said Barbara Williams,
Guzman's attorney.

Defense attorneys also attacked translations of the "code language" the
prosecution said the alleged drug operatives used, as well as the
Spanish-to-English translations of some of the phone calls.

Outside the courtroom after the verdicts were read, Blackington said the
jury's decision "demonstrated the quality of the investigation in the case."

He lauded what he described as a joint effort by federal and local agencies.

A traffic stop by Vincennes police just east of the Red Skelton Bridge on
U.S. 50 in April 2000 yielded a pound of methamphetamine that came from
Quintanilla's Dallas home. The seizure and the arrest of William Buxton,
who turned government witness, touched off 38 indictments in Southern
Indiana and in Texas.

Defense attorneys said it was likely their clients would appeal.

Before Tuesday's proceedings began, Young announced a juror had been
stricken from the panel. Young said Mary E. Ryan reported "a possible
individual surveilling her home."

U.S. marshals learned Ryan had reported to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's
Department that two different people - occupying separate vehicles - had
been parked outside her home at different times Sunday.

Young announced the report before the jury entered the courtroom Tuesday,
then called Ryan into the jury box to be examined.

Ryan said the first vehicle she noticed was a red Porsche with an "older
gentleman" in it. A woman occupied a pickup that was parked for a time near
her home Sunday evening, she said.

Ryan told Young she believed the vehicles and their occupants could have
been related to the business of her husband, who she said "recently fired a
whole construction crew."

Ryan said she had discussed the incident with no fellow jurors. Three
defense attorneys moved that Young strike Ryan from the jury.