Full Notification

 Beginning in January 2019, the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD) Special Investigative Unit (SIU), in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Field Division, the United States Attorney’s Office (AUSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), initiated an investigation into a poly-drug delivery service that was operating in Simi Valley.
 
Customers of this drug delivery service sent text messages to a specific number and placed orders for drugs that the delivery service offered for sale. Drivers working on behalf of the delivery service then delivered the drugs to the customer at designated locations.
 
Law enforcement investigators quickly determined that Erick Oved Estrada of Calabasas, California was the head of this drug delivery service and had several co-conspirators working under his direction. These co-conspirators included Zoila Michelle Estrada, Tomas Marquez-Ruiz, Gilberto Marquez, Caseya Chanel Brown and Arian Alani.
 
Law enforcement investigators also discovered that the delivery service was operating in Nevada, Utah and New York, thereby necessitating a multi-jurisdictional joint investigative approach to disrupt and dismantle this delivery service.
 
Ultimately, law enforcement investigators were able to attribute four fatal overdoses to this delivery service. These fatal overdoses were a direct result of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, which the delivery service regularly sold to its customer base.
 
At the culmination of this investigation, the above-named subjects were indicted in the United States District Court, Central District of California on the following federal charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Dangerous Drugs, Distribution of Dangerous Drugs, and Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death, and Transactional Money Laundering. As of December 2023, the named subjects have been arrested and arraigned in federal court and are currently awaiting trial.
 
The indictments and subsequent arrests of the named subjects resulted in the disruption and dismantling of the delivery service responsible for the distribution of dangerous drugs throughout the San Fernando Valley and East Ventura County.
 
SVPD’s initiation of this complex investigation and subsequent joint effort with federal law enforcement entities highlights the importance of collaborating with other agencies to ensure the safety of our communities.
 
SVPD remains committed to investigating drug-related crimes to safeguard our community from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs. We would like to thank the DEA, the AUSA’s Office and the IRS for their partnership and cooperation.