SAN JOSE – A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a South Bay-based “drug organization dispatcher” to seven years in prison for narcotics trafficking, according to prosecutors.
Raul Jimenez-Verduzco, 24, of San Jose and Milpitas, pleaded guilty in November to conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams, or one pound, of methamphetamine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
As part of a plea agreement, Jimenez-Verduzco admitted that from October 2020 to October 2021 he worked with a drug-trafficking organization to dole out 198 pounds of methamphetamine, 40 pounds of cocaine and 10 pounds of heroin, according to prosecutors. The drugs were valued at $495,000, $540,000 and $63,000, respectively.
Prosecutors said Jimenez-Verduzco acted principally as a dispatcher who took phone orders from the organization and contacted couriers to deliver the drugs to customers.
Jimenez-Verduzco also admitted in his plea agreement that he handled other tasks for the organization, including storing drug shipments at his apartment, picking up money from customers and delivering drugs to customers, according to prosecutors.
One of those deliveries – three ounces of pure methamphetamine and one ounce of heroin – was made to an undercover agent on Oct. 20, 2020. He also dropped off 44 pounds of methamphetamine to a man in Santa Clara on Aug. 18, 2021. The methamphetamine in the latter case was seized and determined to be 96 percent pure.
Jimenez-Verduzco was arrested after a traffic stop on Oct. 21, 2021. Prosecutors said he had $4,000 in cash and that one pound of methamphetamine was found inside a backpack on the front passenger seat and another 19 pounds were found in a cardboard box in the trunk.
In addition to seven years in prison, U.S. District Court Judge Beth Freeman ordered Jimenez-Verduzco to serve three years of supervised release. He was in custody at the time of his sentencing and will begin serving his sentence immediately.
Source: www.mercurynews.com