Bay Area drug traffickers voice concern over ‘contributing to addictions’ while selling thousands of meth-laced Adderall pills, feds say

SAN FRANCISCO — As they were allegedly running an illicit drug business with the structure, efficiency and punctuality normally associated with legitimate corporations, a group of Bay Area residents voiced concerns about spreading addiction by selling to the wrong people, prosecutors say.

“Who is your primary clientele?” Natalie Marie Gonzalez allegedly asked an undercover federal agent who was attempting to purchase methamphetamine-laced Adderall. “We serve a lot of students and young professionals, who use them for work, but I’m curious what you’re (sic) understanding of the use case for your clients.”

The agent allegedly texted back that the pills were going to “college kids/my post grad friends.”

“Thank you for sharing, I more just want to make sure that we are sharing responsibility rather than contributing to addictions that are damaging people,” Gonzalez allegedly replied. Then she arranged for the agent to receive 1,000 counterfeit pills, according to prosecutors.

Now, Gonzalez is facing federal methamphetamine distribution charges, along with Matthew Sestak, Frederick Gaestel and Rory Ricky. Prosecutors allege the group ran a drug distribution network out of the San Mateo area with strict orderliness, requiring a $300 minimum of customers and reserving deliveries to the San Francisco side of the Bay Area for Wednesdays, and the East Bay on Thursdays.

The Drug Enforcement Administration infiltrated the group in March, according to authorities, when an undercover agent used a confidential informant to set up a group chat with Sestak on the encrypted message application Signal. The informant is an unidentified person whose home was raided in March 2023. To avoid charges, they agreed to introduce the DEA to a large distribution ring known as “The Shop,” according to court records.

The agent began ordering counterfeit Adderall pills by the thousand, and eventually started talking directly with Gonzalez, whom Sestak allegedly reffered to as “the girl who makes the call,” according to the criminal complaint.

When the agent request a “full menu,” someone sent over a document with drugs and prices. At the bottom were the words “WE’RE HIRING” and “we need more delivery drivers,” the complaint alleges.

The drug deals were made in Hayward, East Palo Alto and San Leandro throughout 2023. Authorities determined they’d had enough evidence and turned the case over the U.S. Attorney’s Office in September, which filed the charges. Then, on Oct. 5, a grand jury handed down an indictment, charging the four with conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution.