NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 9, 2020
SAN DIEGO – Erik Alexi Martineau, a U.S. citizen who was living in Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he mailed an estimated 7,800 parcels containing fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin from San Diego to locations throughout the U.S.

Martineau pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Major to Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30 at 9 a.m. by U.S. District William Q. Hays. Martineau faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in custody.

“The use of the Postal Service to distribute dangerous drugs – particularly deadly fentanyl – puts the Postal Service and the public at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “We are not going to allow drug traffickers to hijack the U.S. Mail.”

According to his plea agreement, in January 2018, Martineau rented a storage unit in San Diego County to package controlled substances like methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl for shipment to various locations. The defendant also opened a business account at an office supply store so that he could print shipping labels for parcels containing controlled substances.

From January 2018 to June 29, 2019, Martineau received multiple shipping labels from others and arranged to print them at an office supply store. He picked up the controlled substances from various locations in San Diego and packaged the controlled substances inside his rented storage locker. During the 18-month conspiracy, Martineau packaged approximately 100 parcels each week, or about 7,800 parcels.

During the investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspectors and Homeland Security Investigations, law enforcement seized hundreds of parcels containing controlled substances.

Brewer praised Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Walker Hobson and federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspectors for uncovering the scheme and working hard to achieve justice.

DEFENDANT
Erik Alexis Martineau
Age: 50 Mexico

SUMMARY OF CHARGES – Case Number 19cr2836WQH
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. 841 and 846

Maximum Penalty: Life in prison (10-year minimum mandatory); $10 million fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

U.S. Postal Inspectors

Homeland Security Investigations

Source: Department of Justice