Moises Garcia Meza Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on October 19, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, MOISES GARCIA MEZA, a 36-year-old resident of Seattle, Washington, appeared for sentencing. MEZA was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 60 months
Special Assessment: $100
Supervised Release: four years

MEZA was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

MEZA and his co-conspirators were the source of supply for cocaine that was ultimately distributed in Helena. MEZA was distributing substances containing cocaine with co-conspirators in March 2010.

In May 2010, MEZA and his co-conspirators’ substances containing cocaine made it to the streets of Helena, continuing until March 2011.

An investigation revealed that MEZA distributed substances containing cocaine from approximately March 2010 through March 2011. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained over 40 ounces of substances containing cocaine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory tested some of the substances recovered which confirmed that over 600 grams of the substances contained cocaine hydrochloride.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that MEZA will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, MEZA does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Helena Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Helena Police Department, and the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office.