Cold Spring Man Indicted for Possessing with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm

MINNEAPOLIS—Yesterday in federal court, a 36-year-old Cold Spring man was indicted for possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Tomas Hermosillo Marquez is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, on September 21, 2012, police officers executed an early morning state search warrant at Marquez’s trailer home in Cold Spring, Minnesota. The police allegedly found several packages of suspected methamphetamine in the closet of the master bedroom and approximately four ounces of suspected methamphetamine on the floor of the closet that was being dried by a heat lamp. The police also found a .22-caliber revolver and ammunition, a digital scale with suspected methamphetamine residue, suspected packaging materials, and over $4,000 in cash.

If convicted, Marquez faces a potential maximum penalty of 10 years to life in prison on one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; five years to life in prison on one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and 10 years in prison on one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. All sentences are ultimately determined by a federal district court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Hollenhorst.