A Stockton man has pled guilty to conspiracy charges related to his involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution network, according to federal prosecutors. The man, identified as Jose Manuel Ontiveros Verdugo, 39, admitted to participating in a scheme to traffic methamphetamine across Stockton and other areas of the United States, spanning from July 2019 through December 2019.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith released details of the case wherein between the aforementioned timeframe, Verdugo and his co-defendants allegedly distributed significant amounts of narcotics. An undercover source involved in the investigation successfully purchased 11 pounds of methamphetamine and a half-pound of heroin from the group. In addition to these transactions, law enforcement intercepted 50 pounds of methamphetamine bound for Nebraska and a 21-pound shipment en route to Pennsylvania, as detailed in the Department of Justice press release.
Several agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and local police departments collaborated in the investigation that led to Verdugo's apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is in charge of the prosecution. The case falls under the purview of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program, which aims to disrupt and dismantle top-tier criminal organizations.
Verdugo is set to face sentencing on June 16, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. While he could potentially receive life in prison and a $10 million fine, his actual sentence will rest in the hands of the court after reviewing applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. His co-defendants, Jorge Omar Arredondo Garcia, Gregorio Ontiveros Verdugo, Alberto Navarro Zapata, and Wilfredo Reyes, are yet to stand trial and maintain their presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
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