A Memphis man's wild ride ended with a harsh dose of reality as a federal judge handed down a 12-year prison sentence for drug and gun charges. Jeffery Cervero, 27, was convicted of cruising in a stolen Dodge Charger with a hefty haul of methamphetamine, firearms, and cash, according to U.S. Attorney's Office.
Bearing down on the Boulevard Apartments in Hickory Hill last October, Memphis Police spotted the black Dodge Charger with misfit tags linked to another stolen vehicle from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Once officers approached, a scramble ensued that left a police vehicle and a large rock bearing the brunt of Cervero's escape attempt. He sped off but his flight was short-lived; officers quickly disabled the vehicle. Running from the scene, Cervero's attempt at freedom was cut short after a brief foot chase.
In a twist of fate straight out of a crime drama, Cervero carried a Glock 9mm pistol with a special "Glock switch" in his pants. A later search unveiled a trove of illicit goods in the vehicle, including 46 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, assorted pills, and a cash stash of $14,432.
Further emphasizing the gravity of his illicit endeavors, inside the car lay about 4.3 kg of vacuum-sealed marijuana, additional firearms, five iPhones, and Cervero's own ID, as if the scene of the crime was personally signed by him. A passenger, caught in their own failed flight from the disabled car, was also apprehended.
The heavy hand of justice was delivered on May 15, when Cervero pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a substantive amount of methamphetamine, and weapons possession in the course of drug trafficking. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced him to 144 months without the possibility of parole, followed by a four-year supervised release, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement.
This case was not the work of a solitary entity but a concerted effort by the Memphis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Memphis Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration - Memphis Office and Nashville Laboratory, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and ATF Oklahoma. Ritz expressed gratitude to the prosecutors and law enforcement officers involved in bringing Cervero to justice.
