United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Juan Porcayo, age 48, of Yuba City, California, was found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of Methamphetamine as a result of a federal jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota. The trial began Monday, October 21 and concluded Tuesday, October 22. Porcayo was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 19, 2017.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in custody and/or a $10,000,000 fine, 5 years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Porcayo was a supplier of methamphetamine in California. He provided multiple pounds of methamphetamine to people who transported it back to South Dakota for distribution. Several co-conspirators have pled guilty.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn N. Rich prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2020. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
