US Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Mexican citizen charged with a drug conspiracy was sentenced on May 20, 2011, by US District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken in Rapid City. Armando Ixtlilco-Hernandez, age 32, was sentenced to 210 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. He will be turned over to immigration authorities for deportation upon his release from prison.
Ixtlilco-Hernandez was indicted for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a controlled substance (methamphetamine), conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (cocaine), and eight counts of distribution of a controlled substance (either methamphetamine or cocaine) by a federal grand jury on July 20, 2010. He pled guilty to the first count, and the other counts were dismissed.
Between approximately June 2009 and May 6, 2010, Ixtlilco-Hernandez conspired with others to distribute drugs in the Rapid City area. He obtained the drugs from out-of-state sources and either distributed them himself or used other members of the conspiracy to distribute them.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant US Attorneys Connie Larson and Mark A. Vargo prosecuted the case.
The defendant was immediately turned over to the custody of the US Marshal.
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