A Houston man has been slapped with a heavy federal sentence after pleading guilty to weapons and drug charges. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced Sidney Rachal, 28, will spend nearly nine years behind bars for possessing firearms as a felon and intending to peddle cocaine.
Rachal, whose criminal résumé includes a previous conviction for aggravated robbery, is banned from having guns or ammo. He was caught red-handed, with two firearms and a cache of drugs. Authorities pulled him over back in January 2022, only to find he was intoxicated and had an outstanding warrant, according to a report by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. A search turned up not just drugs and guns but also a hefty sum of $22,905 in cash.
The recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Hittner has ordered Rachal to serve 105 months in federal prison, which will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. According to the statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Rachal is also required to give up the firearms and magazines found in his possession.
During the court hearing, the judge made a note of Rachal's past run-ins with law enforcement before handing down the sentence. When Rachal was stopped on Jan. 21, a search resulted in finding a loaded Glock Model 26 pistol and another firearm, along with drugs ready to hit the streets. He's set to remain in custody until his transfer to an unspecified U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, the statement revealed.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez serves as the prosecutor.
