A federal judge ordered Marvin Angelito, 27, detained without bond while his alleged accomplice Susan Gonzalez, 26, walked free on $15,000 bail after their arrests in a wild FBI raid on a luxury downtown Los Angeles high-rise.
The pair were taken into custody last Thursday when agents executed a search warrant at their apartment on the 45th floor of Olympic + Hill, a gleaming tower at 230 W. Olympic Blvd. Authorities allege the unit served as a fentanyl “stash house” where bulk narcotics were stored and distributed to lesser dealers seeking product.
Investigators say they began building their case against Angelito and Gonzalez over the summer. They flipped a criminal informant already facing federal drug charges, who then began working with the FBI to penetrate the operation. The snitch arranged to purchase 500,000 M30 fentanyl pills for $125,000, with the deal set for August 21 at the couple’s apartment.
Before the buy, a “show and tell” video call was staged. Angelito displayed the drugs for the buyer. A friend of Angelito also appeared on the call and vouched for the operation’s legitimacy.
“This place is ‘official,'” the friend said on the call, adding that there is some “cartel s—t over here.”
“This is the stash house. They’ve got everything up there,” the friend continued. “They don’t like to let too many people up there. If somebody robs that s—t or something they’ll know who to blame it on.”
“Now you know this s—t is for real,” the friend added.
The deal went down as planned, and federal agents confiscated the drugs. Several weeks later, they returned with a search warrant and arrested Angelito and Gonzalez at their home.
Inside the apartment, agents discovered nearly 94 pounds of fentanyl in pill and powder form, more than two pounds of heroin, and almost 16 pounds of cocaine. They also found laboratory equipment including beakers, mixers, stirrers, torches, and a hydraulic press, suggesting the unit may have been used for drug processing as well as storage.
The weapons cache included an AR-15 rifle with ammunition discovered in a hallway closet, plus a gold-plated Desert Eagle.50-caliber pistol with ammunition sitting on the kitchen counter. Agents also recovered a police radio.
Among the more unusual finds was a small alligator kept inside a glass tank. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents seized the reptile.
The building itself offers residents a pool, panoramic city views, fancy common spaces, and a posh gaming room. The contrast between the upscale amenities and the alleged criminal enterprise operating inside became a focal point of the case.
Both Angelito and Gonzalez made their initial appearances at the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Judge Karen Stevenson split their pretrial fates, keeping Angelito behind bars while Gonzalez secured her release.
Each faces a single federal charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. No pleas were entered during Monday’s proceedings.
Angelito’s arraignment is scheduled for October 2. Gonzalez will be arraigned one week later on October 9.
