Dallas nightclub owner sentenced to 16 years for allowing cocaine sales at businesses

A nightclub owner who was convicted of allowing cocaine sales at his businesses in Dallas and Fort Worth was sentenced on Friday to serve 16 years in federal jail.

Alfredo Hinojosa, the membership owner, has additionally been ordered to pay a $120,000 positive, the U.S. legal professional’s workplace for the North District of Texas introduced in a news launch Monday, in a case that concerned dozens of defendants, together with former Dallas law enforcement officials.

Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who presided over sentencing, described Hinojosa because the “top dog” of the operation, in accordance to the news launch.

A federal jury in Dallas in November convicted Hinojosa of managing drug premises, conspiracy to handle drug premises, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He was arrested in December 2017.

The nightclub owner initially agreed to plead responsible shortly after his arrest, even offering federal authorities a confession, however later opted to go to trial, prosecutors had mentioned.

The case had greater than 30 defendants, together with former Dallas law enforcement officials Eddie Villarreal and Craig Woods — each of whom pleaded responsible to mendacity to the FBI.

Villarreal, who supervised safety for Hinojosa, was sentenced in April to serve two-and-a-half years in federal jail. Woods was sentenced in 2018 to three years probation.

All of the defendants within the case have been convicted of crimes associated to the operation, the legal professional’s workplace mentioned.

Hinojosa and others who have been concerned within the unlawful operation allowed cocaine to be offered inside bogs at the golf equipment to get a “competitive edge” over rival businesses, prosecutors mentioned within the Monday news launch.

During the trial, prosecutors confirmed proof of 17 managed drug purchases between 2013 and 2016 at a number of golf equipment in North Texas, together with the OK Corral Dallas, the OK Corral Fort Worth and Far West.

The drug sales elevated income at Hinojosa’s golf equipment by $9 million to $12 million, the legal professional’s workplace added.

Investigation into Hinojosa’s businesses began in 2012, and included the FBI Dallas Field Office and Dallas police.

FBI brokers advised jurors that they put in hidden microphones and a digicam inside Hinojosa’s workplace as a part of the investigation. Multiple informants who have been working with FBI brokers additionally purchased cocaine at golf equipment owned by Hinojosa, in accordance to the prosecutor’s workplace.

Hinojosa’s legal professional was not instantly out there for remark.