Cocaine ring’s efforts detailed
G REELEY» A review of a 50page, 62-count indictment has shed some light into a northern Colorado cocaine ring police say was run by a well-known Greeley businessman and philanthropist.
Last month, the Weld County Drug Task Force announced it had arrested Alberto “Beto” Loya, 46, after he was indicted in July by a Weld County grand jury on multiple charges related to drug trafficking.
Loya, a Platteville native who moved to Greeley after graduating from the University of Northern Colorado, once ran his own State Farm Insurance branch before founding and serving as a past president of the Northern Colorado Latino Chamber of Commerce. He’s listed as the registered agent of Greeley Fiesta Inc., a nonprofit that annually organizes an annual Cinco de Mayo celebration. He also floated the idea of hosting Mexican horse racing at Island Grove Regional Park.
The grand jury indictment, which released shortly after the announcement of Loya’s arrest, provides details about how much cocaine and cash changed hands during the task force’s six-month investigation. It also provides details about where many of the alleged cocaine deals took place, as well as how the investigation expanded to include a black market marijuana ring run out of a rural Weld County warehouse.
More than half of the 62 counts involve Loya, who was indicted on 33 charges.
The indictment begins Oct. 23, 2018, when police say Loya sold 5 ounces of cocaine to an undercover officer for $5,000. The indictment outlines 17 additional occasions in which Loya allegedly sold cocaine to undercover officers or their associates.
Although drug weight and dollars were not tracked for every transaction, the indictment alleges Loya bought and sold at least 4 kilos of cocaine with a street value of about $141,000 during the five-month period he was the focus of the investigation.
On March 7, police say Loya sold a little more than 2 pounds of black market marijuana to an undercover detective.
Most of the deals took place at Loya’s office in Greeley or at his house. Several deals also occurred at the Dugout Bar & Grill. The indictment also notes Loya allegedly conducted business deals at Boomerang Links Golf Course, 3 Margaritas, Buffalo Wild Wings and a laundromat.
The money laundering charges stem from two instances when police say Loya met with money runners from Mexican cartels to square his drug debts. The first instance noted in the indictment occurred on Jan. 19 or 20, when Loya met with an unnamed money runner at a bus stop in El Paso and paid him an undisclosed sum of money.
On April 23 or 24, Loya met with another money runner, Cesar Vargas-maldonado, at a hotel in Denver. Vargas-maldonado was arrested in New Mexico with “a large amount of cash,” according to the indictment.
A business relationship blossomed between Loya and Anthony Alirez, who also was indicted and arrested after the drug task force investigation.