Mexican National Sentenced in East Texas Meth Conspiracy
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 29, 2013 |
MARSHALL, TX—A 29-year-old Sinaloa, Mexico man currently residing in Marshall, Texas, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Joeli Higuera Fernandez pleaded guilty on May 3, 2013, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison on August 28, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap. Fernandez was also ordered to submit to forfeiture of $15,000 in currency.
According to information presented in court, from March 2010 to October 2012, Fernandez was involved in a conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. Fernandez admitted to distributing 101.7 grams of actual methamphetamine during this time. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on November 7, 2012, charging Fernandez and three others with drug trafficking violations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marshall Police Department, and the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst.