Case of Interest: People vs. Antonio Vicente Villasenor, et al.

Contact: George Smyrnos, Major Narcotics Vendor
Prosecution Unit, (916) 874-7113

District Attorney Jan Scully announced today that Antonio Vicente Villasenor was sentenced to a term of 30 years in state prison by the Honorable Richard H. Gilmore. In January, Villasenor and three co-defendants were found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to transport and sell cocaine and methamphetamine, and related charges. Co-defendant Jason Keith Tolliver, who came within the Three Strikes Law, was convicted of five felony counts and received a 27-year-to-life sentence. Co-defendant Jesse Joseph Vasquez received a sentence of 26 years and 8 months, and co-defendant Joseph Duarte, Jr., received a sentence of 26 years. Ten other co-defendants pleaded guilty before trial and received sentences ranging from probation to 25 years in state prison.

In April, 2002, after an extensive investigation, Sacramento Sheriff’s Detective Robin Kolb obtained a court order for a wiretap on Villasenor’s cell phone. Her monitoring of calls placed to and from Villasenor's phone along with undercover surveillance activity led to the seizure, on May 16, 2002, of 49 kilos of cocaine in San Antonio, Texas. The cocaine, bound for Sacramento, was found concealed in a specially constructed compartment within a Chrysler sedan. Also on May 16, 2002, search warrants served at various locations throughout the Sacramento area led to the seizure of over a pound of methamphetamine. One of the crimes for which Villasenor, Vasquez and Duarte were convicted involved Duarte taking his eight-year-old son as "cover" to Texas in the Chrysler.

Deputy District Attorney George Smyrnos stated, "This case shows the value of court authorized wiretaps in large scale drug cases. Detective Kolb's professionalism and expertise in putting this case together, and the dedication and work of all her team members, were significant factors in obtaining the guilty pleas and verdicts.”