Dade City Man Sentenced To Nineteen Years In Federal Prison For Armed Drug Trafficking

Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Angel Martinez (34, Dade City) to nineteen years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence consists of 14 years in federal prison for the drug trafficking offense, followed by a five year consecutive sentence for the firearm charge. Martinez pleaded guilty on April 19, 2013.

According to court documents, on September 20, 2012, investigators executed a search warrant at Martinez's residence in Dade City. In Martinez's bedroom, investigators located twenty-nine grams of methamphetamine and three firearms. In a shed next to his house, investigators located more than 250 grams of methamphetamine, two hand guns, numerous rounds of ammunition, and five digital scales.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation's illegal drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher F. Murray.