A Sacramento man entered a plea of guilty to a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith confirmed that 26-year-old Isaias Aroldo Contreras made the plea in response to a January 2023 raid on his Folsom residence, where authorities discovered a sizable amount of drugs, a weapon, and cash believed to be from the sale of narcotics. The seizure included 992 fentanyl-laced pills disguised as oxycodone M-30s, a loaded Glock 9mm pistol, over $31,000 in cash, a money counter, and several pieces of custom diamond jewelry, including a Rolex watch, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Information obtained from Contreras's cell phone showed that from at least March 2020 to December 2022 he was involved in buying and selling illicit substances. Messages on his device evidenced transactions for hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of counterfeit M-30 pills as well as cocaine dealing in kilogram quantities. This evidence was critical to bringing Contreras to justice and was part of an investigation spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with help from Homeland Security Investigations and the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force.
Contreras, who is set to be sentenced on May 27, by Judge William B. Shubb, could face up to 40 years in prison. However, the exact sentence will be left to the discretion of the court, with due consideration for the Federal Sentencing Guidelines which take into account various factors. "As part of his plea agreement," his case presented by Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer, "Contreras also agreed to forfeit to the government $31,154 in cash and numerous items of seized jewelry that was seized from his residence," as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The investigation into Contreras was conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a joint federal effort using a multi-agency approach focusing on significant criminal threats to the nation. This effort aims to identify, disrupt, and to dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. For more detailed information about the OCDETF's efforts, the public can visit the Justice Department's official website.
