Illegal aliens and convicted felons sentenced for transnational drug trafficking and money laundering

ATLANTA - Two illegal aliens and two convicted felons have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a large international drug trafficking and money laundering organization stretching from Mexico to Atlanta.

"These defendants forfeited their freedom by choosing to poison our community and enrich narco-terrorists abroad," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "My office, our Homeland Security Task Force, and our state and local partners are deeply committed to stemming the tide of drugs flowing into north Georgia and punishing the criminals who enable and abet foreign cartels."

"Fentanyl continues to devastate communities across our country," said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. "Through strong partnerships and coordinated enforcement efforts, we were able to stop a dangerous operation and disrupt the flow of illegal profits. This case underscores our shared mission to save lives and keep our communities safe."

"Sandra Hernandez Chilel's sentencing demonstrates that individuals involved in trafficking dangerous drugs such as fentanyl and laundering crime proceeds, which contribute to violence and instability within our communities, will be held responsible," said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. "IRS-CI special agents, together with our federal partners, conducted thorough investigations to dismantle this network and intercept narcotics and illicit funds, thereby ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2024, federal law enforcement uncovered a scheme in which David Miranda Vinalay and multi-convicted drug dealers, such as Jerome Lewis and Irving Joel Hernandez, funneled bulk cash drug proceeds to a middleman in Norcross, Georgia. At the direction of Mexico-based drug traffickers, the middleman delivered the money to Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, who laundered the funds to Mexico through her Norcross, Georgia money service business, "Pulga La Esperanza." Hernandez Chilel attempted to conceal the laundered funds by wiring the money to different individuals in Mexico in small transactions. Between September and November 2024, the organization laundered over $1 million in drug proceeds to Mexico.

Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, 50, an illegal alien from San Marcos, Guatemala, to five years and five months in prison and she will be deported to Guatemala upon completion of her sentence. On December 17, 2025, Hernandez Chilel pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Three additional defendants were sentenced in this case:

• Jerome Lewis, 48, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lewis was separately convicted in federal court in 2015 of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
• David Miranda Vinalay, 40, an illegal alien from Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced to seven years and eleven months months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
• Irving Joel Hernandez, 35, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Hernandez was convicted in state court in 2015 of trafficking methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Valuable assistance was also provided by Georgia State Patrol, DeKalb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert, Dwayne A. Brown, Jr., and Nicholas Evert prosecuted the case.

These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.