Jose Fernando McCormick, a 52-year-old resident of Tucson, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down on June 27, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Scott H. Rash. McCormick had previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The incident leading to his arrest occurred on October 3, 2024. McCormick drove to a gas station in Tucson with approximately eight kilograms of methamphetamine in his truck. He intended to deliver the drugs but fled when law enforcement attempted to stop him. During his escape, McCormick abandoned his moving truck, which subsequently crashed into an electricity pole. Officers later discovered him hiding in a residential shed nearby.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level criminal organizations that pose threats to the United States. The OCDETF employs a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach for its operations.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Culver from the District of Arizona in Tucson managed the prosecution.
Further information about the OCDETF Program can be accessed at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
