A California man will be spending at least the next few years in federal prison after being sentenced for conspiring to distribute cocaine in Paterson, NJ.
The suspect, a 38-year-old resident of Riverside, California, was accused of playing a key role in a plot to ship a large quantity of cocaine to New Jersey.
Law enforcement placed the suspect under arrest in March 2015 after a lengthy investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As part of the investigation, DEA agents allegedly recorded the suspect while he met with others and talked about sending cocaine to NJ.
Police officers later watched the suspect as he placed cocaine on a tractor-trailer in Montebello, California. Three days later, law enforcement located the same trailer in the parking lot of a Paterson NJ Home Depot. A search of the vehicle reportedly turned up more than 26 pounds of cocaine.
The suspect was arrested and charged with multiple drug offenses, including cocaine distribution. He did not go to trial, however, because he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
Now a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Newark NJ has signed off on the plea agreement. The judge sentenced the suspect to a term of incarceration of six years in a federal penitentiary, as well as five years of supervised release after he completes his sentence.
For additional information about this case, see the NJ.com article, “Man Gets 6 Years for Sending 26 Pounds of Cocaine to N.J.”