Natalie Marie Gonzalez, an Oakland resident, has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence, delivered by U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson, comes following Gonzalez's involvement in managing a drug trafficking service catering to students and young professionals in the Bay Area.
Gonzalez, 31, was indicted along with three co-defendants in October 2023. She pleaded guilty in September 2024 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, under 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C).
From April to September 2023, Gonzalez operated "The Shop," an on-demand drug delivery service. This service offered a variety of drugs and required a $300 minimum for orders. Deliveries were made by drivers, including her co-defendants, and orders were placed through the encrypted messaging app Signal. Gonzalez indicated to an undercover agent that her customers were largely students and young professionals.
The investigation revealed that Gonzalez had multiple transactions with an undercover agent, facilitating the sale of methamphetamine pills. In July 2023, Gonzalez arranged a meeting for a drug delivery, specifying a white Subaru Forester as the delivery vehicle and suggesting methods for receiving the order.
The Shop also accepted cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin addresses provided as a payment method for drugs. A search warrant executed at the group's stash house in Menlo Park resulted in the seizure of nearly a kilogram of fentanyl, around seven kilograms of cocaine, fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and ketamine.
Judge Thompson's sentence includes three years of supervised release following the prison term. The prosecution was announced by Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris.
Gonzalez's prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. This task force takes an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to tackle top-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations threatening the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Pastor led the prosecution, supported by Andy Ding. The case was investigated by the DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation.