Incarcerated Gang Leader and Spouse Plead Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Orchestrated from Prison

 OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, RAMON DOMINQUEZ, 46, currently incarcerated in an Oklahoma prison, and STEPHANIE SOLIZ, 46, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to a drug distribution conspiracy involving methamphetamine and heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.

According to court documents and public records, Dominquez was a member of the Southside Locos prison gang serving a life sentence in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for a previous conviction for First Degree Murder, in addition to sentences for other offenses.  Leaders of the Southside Locos prison gang, including Dominquez, orchestrated a large-scale drug-trafficking operation, primarily focused on distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, using contraband cell phones from prison.

As a non-incarcerated member of the conspiracy, Dominquez’s wife and co-defendant, Soliz, served as Dominquez’s de facto presence on the street.  In addition to delivering drugs, Soliz collected proceeds from drug debts and sales, storing the money for future drug-trafficking and protecting the Southside Loco’s drug-related assets.

On January 4, 2021, Dominquez pleaded guilty to his involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy.  On January 6, 2021, Soliz also pleaded guilty to her involvement in the drug trafficking conspiracy.

At sentencing, which is anticipated to take place in about 90 days, Dominquez faces a maximum penalty of life in a federal prison or a fine of up to $10,000,000, or both, in addition to a term of supervised release for five years.  Soliz faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison or a fine of $1,000,000, or both, in addition to a term of supervised release for three years.

These charges are the result of a nearly two-year investigation by the Oklahoma City Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections—Security Threats Intelligence that ultimately led to the federal indictments of more than 40 defendants related to this drug trafficking enterprise.  Thirty-four defendants have already pleaded guilty, and six defendants are still awaiting trial or plea hearings.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Harley and David McCrary are prosecuting the case.