Seven defendants convicted by the state for their roles in a violent drug hit in Sitka three years ago have now been sentenced in a federal court as well. The US District Court in Alaska on Wednesday (12-8-21) handed down sentences ranging from time served, to over 30 years.
35-year old Christina Quintana (aka “Lete”) took the longest sentence. She will serve 22-and-a-half years in prison for her crimes, which included pistol-whipping a Sitka woman over an unpaid drug debt and then shooting her in both legs.
Quintana and an accomplice, 25-year old Andrea Avalos (aka “Josie”) were involved in a drug ring that had been distributing methamphetamine and heroin in Sitka beginning in May of 2017. In March of the following year Quintana and Avalos flew to Sitka from New Mexico, and assaulted their customer two days later. The pair were promptly arrested by Sitka police officers, who used a riot control grenade to extract them from a yacht in Sitka’s harbor where they had been squatting.
Quintana pled guilty in US District Court to conspiracy to possess and distribute drugs in Sitka, and the possession and discharge of a firearm in drug trafficking. She will serve her 22-year sentence concurrently with her conviction in Alaska Superior Court last June on a single count of assault and inflicting serious injury with a weapon. Quintana, who has a criminal record dating back to 2003, will not be eligible for parole. After the completion of her sentence, she’ll be on supervised release for 10 years.
In arguing for the sentence, Acting US Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District of Alaska said, “The violence committed in this case has shaken the community of Sitka and is one of the worst drug offenses committed in Southeast Alaska in the last few decades.”
Andrea Avalos pled guilty in US District Court to a drug conspiracy charge, and will serve 12 years in prison.
Other defendants in the case include Sitkans:
— 42-year old Peter Krovina (aka “Lil’ Pete”) who will serve 15 years in prison on drug trafficking and firearms charges.
— 28-year old Holly Chambers who pled guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to time served.
— 32-year old Aaron Didrickson who pled guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to time served.
— 39-year old Porter Treadway who pled guilty to drug conspiracy, and is scheduled for sentencing in January.
And one Juneau resident:
— 33-year old Eric Morisky (aka “Curly”) who pled guilty to drug trafficking and was sentenced to four years and two months in prison.
The investigation that led to the arrests of all seven defendants was a joint operation of the Sitka Police Department; the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the US Marshals.
