Ceres man could spend life in federal prison for trying to sell meth to investigator

A 26-year-old Ceres man could spend the rest of his life in federal prison for reportedly trying to sell 15 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover investigator.

On Monday, Jose Manuel Sotelo-Mendoza pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento announced in a news release.

Federal prosecutors said Sotelo and his co-defendant, Oscar Ivan Salazar-Avalos, met a supply source in Los Angeles County to obtain the meth.

The defendants then delivered the 15 pounds of meth to the undercover investigator in Delano, according to the prosecutors. Salazar had negotiated to sell the meth for $3,400 per pound for a total of $51,000.

Salazar, who pleaded guilty in November, is scheduled to be sentenced April 8.

Sotelo is scheduled to be sentenced May 13. Each defendant faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, along with a $10 million fine, according to federal prosecutors.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, which includes investigators from federal Homeland Security, the California Highway Patrol, and other state and local agencies.

This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 1:04 PM.