Vanessa Velez and Felix Mendez, both from New York City, have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage handed down the sentences following guilty pleas from both defendants earlier this year.
According to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, Velez received 48 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit $325,000. Mendez was sentenced to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and must also forfeit $325,000.
The indictment against Velez and Mendez was filed in January. In August, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute about 40 kilograms of cocaine, as well as one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute the same amount.
Court documents show that the pair traveled together from New York to Philadelphia carrying approximately $325,000 in cash inside a duffel bag. On October 29, 2024, they met at a parking lot in South Philadelphia where they exchanged the money for two duffel bags they believed contained cocaine. After leaving the scene by car, Philadelphia police stopped their vehicle near 59 E. Oregon Avenue. Officers detained both individuals and recovered the two bags filled with what turned out to be sham cocaine.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf stated: “This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Philadelphia Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.”
