COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Lewis Center couple was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison this week after law enforcement discovered more than two kilograms of cocaine and a loaded handgun during a traffic stop last year, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Laura Reyes Esquivel, 49, and Mario Gamino Sanchez, 30, each pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute and to carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, according to court documents.
Officers pulled the couple over in June 2025. They were the only occupants of the vehicle. When officers searched the car, they found more than two kilograms of cocaine and a loaded handgun. Prosecutors said the couple intended to distribute the cocaine in the Columbus area for personal profit.
Both were charged in June 2025. Sanchez pleaded guilty in December 2025. Reyes Esquivel pleaded guilty in April 2026.
Chief U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison sentenced Reyes Esquivel on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson sentenced Sanchez last week.
