FRESNO, Calif. -Wenceslao Cruz Ochoa, 35, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
According to court documents, Ochoa was driving northbound on Interstate 5 when he was stopped for driving too closely to another vehicle. During the stop, the deputy’s canine alerted to the presence of a controlled substance. Ochoa’s vehicle was search and 19 pounds of methamphetamine was found in a suitcase.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Frye is prosecuting the case.
Ochoa is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on Sept. 14, 2015. Ochoa faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
