San Francisco Noe Valley meth trafficker sentenced to more than 13 years in prison

SAN FRANCISCO -- A San Francisco man convicted of trafficking tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs monthly received a 160-month prison term, prosecutors announced Friday.

Alejandro Alvarez, 46, was sentenced following his guilty verdict in April of drug trafficking in connection with a scheme to distribute more than 65 pounds of methamphetamine, according to a press statement from U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Acting Special Agent in Charge Bob Beris. 

The evidence at the trial showed Alvarez managed a sophisticated drug distribution operation out of his apartment on Sanchez Street in the city's Noe Valley neighborhood. Police investigators learned someone who went by the name "Chewy" was selling heroin and others drugs and developed evidence to obtain a search warrant at the apartment.

According to prosecutors, during the search warrant at the apartment, officers recovered $46,000 in cash and 65 pounds of methamphetamine with a street retail value of more than $1.5 million. 

Text messages between Alvarez and his customers - which included names, transaction dates, drug quantities, and drug types - matched up with a ledger that showed an operation capable of distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs annually. In the week before his arrest the ledger showed Alvarez sold $15,300 worth of methamphetamine and heroin.

Alvarez was found guilty of a single count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine.

Federal Judge William Orrick also ordered Alvarez to serve a five-year period of supervised release after his prison term.