July 31, 2026 – SACRAMENTO, CA – A federal grand jury on Thursday, July 30 has indicted Jose Gilberto Alvarez, 70, of Olivehurst, charging him with four counts of heroin distribution, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

Image by Ray Shrewsberry • Ray_Shrewsberry from Pixabay

According to court documents, between April and July 2026, Alvarez sold heroin on four occasions in the Yuba-Sutter County area. In total, he is accused of distributing about one pound of heroin.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Yuba County Sheriff’s Office and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case. Alvarez is in custody.

If convicted, Alvarez faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: DOJ Release