San Diego Man Who Smuggled Methamphetamine in Stuffed Animals and Amassed Counterfeit Credit Cards Sentenced to 15 Years

SAN DIEGO – Daniel Wayne Gorman, a resident of San Diego, was sentenced to 15 years in custody on Monday as a result of mailing over two kilograms of pure methamphetamine to Guam and possessing over 500 counterfeit credit cards. 

According to Gorman’s plea agreement, on July 1, 2016, Gorman placed four packages, each containing a stuffed animal filled with methamphetamine, in the mail from the Jamul, CA Post Office.  According to court documents, Gorman used an alias “Daniel German” to mail the packages, which were intercepted in Barrigada, Guam.  In total the four packages contained 2.077 kilograms of actual methamphetamine.

Gorman was also sentenced on separate charges of credit card fraud.  As laid out in the United States’ sentencing memorandum, on March 29, 2018 officers searched Gorman’s residence and found significant evidence of identity theft and credit card fraud, including over 500 counterfeit credit cards, multiple fake Florida driver’s licenses bearing the defendant’s photograph but the personal identifying information of others, white plastic cards, magnetic strip readers, a card embosser, a tipping foil machine, and holograms.  Many of the credit cards in Gorman’s possession bore the names of real individuals who were not Gorman. 

“We aren’t going to allow the U.S. Mail to become a smuggling service for drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer. “This case is the result of excellent work by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Wasserman and agents from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.”

“Today’s sentencing is a reminder that financial crimes against the American people will not go unpunished,” said James Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service San Diego Field Office.  “This case illustrates the strong partnership between the Secret Service, San Diego Police Department, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

“For his role in distributing controlled substances, Daniel Gorman misused the U.S. Mail and is now paying a steep price,” said Patricia Armstrong, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Los Angeles Division.  “By working closely with our law enforcement partners to dismantle operations like this, we can help stop drugs and associated violence from reaching the American public.”

As a result of Gorman’s significant criminal activity, U.S. District Judge John A. Houston sentenced him to 120 months custody as to the methamphetamine trafficking and 60 months, consecutive, as to the possession of counterfeit credit cards, for a total of 180 months or 15 years.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number             18CR4083-JAH         

Daniel Wayne Gorman                                   Age: 33                       San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Distribution of Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)

Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment and $10 million fine

Possession of Counterfeit Access Devices – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1029(a)(3)

Maximum penalty: Ten years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine

AGENCIES

United States Secret Service

United States Postal Inspection Service

San Diego County Sheriff