Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Five Co-Conspirators Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

POCATELLO – Five members of an Idaho Falls area drug trafficking organization pleaded guilty today in United States District Court in Pocatello, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

Federico Cervera, 56, and Antonio Tamez, 39, both of Blackfoot, Idaho, and Imelda Ramos, 36, of Pocatello, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is punishable by a minimum term of ten years up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and at least five years of supervised release.

Jesse J. Short, 33, of Pocatello, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute in excess of five grams of methamphetamine. The charge is punishable by a minimum term of five years up to 40 years in prison, a maximum fine of $5 million, and at least four years of supervised release.

Dominga Tamez, 67, of Blackfoot, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release.

According to the plea agreements, on various dates in May 2013, the five defendants, distributed various quantities of methamphetamine in Pocatello and Heyburn, Idaho.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2014, before U.S. District Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Idaho State Police, assisted by the Pocatello Police Department, Blackfoot Police Department, Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, Power County Sheriff’s Office, the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).