Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
Jonathan Ponce has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, as well as international money laundering. The sentence was delivered by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen.
Ponce, aged 34, is a U.S. citizen who previously lived in Mexico and the South Bay area. He faced initial charges on August 21, 2019, with an indictment following on August 29 of the same year for drug-related offenses. A separate indictment related to money laundering was issued by a federal grand jury on June 24, 2021.
On November 14, 2024, Ponce entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, along with five counts of international money laundering and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Court documents reveal that Ponce either sold or facilitated the sale of approximately 14 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.6 pounds of heroin across thirteen transactions. Additionally, he laundered over $30,000 obtained from illegal activities by transferring funds to Mexico using false information through money services businesses.
Since his arrest, Ponce has remained in custody and will continue under custody following his sentencing. Besides the prison term, Judge Chen mandated five years of supervised release after Ponce completes his imprisonment.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian alongside Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach involving federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Yeh led the prosecution following an investigation conducted by the DEA.
