Ismael Anaya, 28, and Eliot Delavirgen, 33, both of Medford, Oregon, were sentenced Monday to federal prison

Ismael Anaya, 28, and Eliot Delavirgen, 33, both of Medford, Oregon, were sentenced Monday to federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Owen M. Panner for their leadership roles in a heroin trafficking organization located in the Rogue Valley. Anaya was sentenced to 260 months in prison and Delavirgen was sentenced to 160 months. Judge Panner also ordered the forfeiture of two vehicles, jewelry and over $840,000. Earlier this year, both Anaya and Delavirgen plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. Delavirgen also plead guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Anaya and Delavirgen are cousins, originally from Oxnard, California.

According to sentencing documents filed with the court, federal court authorized wiretaps revealed Anaya’s primary leadership role in the organization and the conspiracy with others to distribute heroin. Anaya had been involved in selling heroin to local distributors since 2008. Delavirgen became actively involved in assisting Anaya with the distribution including taking over the heroin distribution activities in June 2009. It was estimated that Anaya distributed a total of 25 to 50 pounds of heroin in the Rogue Valley, while Delavirgen was delivering $30,000 to $35,000 every two weeks from heroin sales to Anaya. Anaya directed the activities of distributors, made arrangements to purchase additional heroin when supplies ran low, handled the financial aspects of collecting money as well as paying the source of supply. Anaya also arranged transportation for the heroin to be delivered to the Rogue Valley and was involved in the daily operation of the drug trafficking organization.

The sentencing documents also disclose that wiretaps uncovered numerous drug related discussions between Anaya, Delavirgen and their various distributors. Those discussions involved the supply of heroin and the demand for it by the distributors, arranging for the delivery of heroin including plans to pick up two pounds of heroin from a stash house located in Milwaukee, Oregon, collecting money from the various distributors and paying their supplier. There were also discussions about assaulting and robbing others who owed them money.