James T. Jacks
Acting United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

MEN WHO RAN METH DISTRIBUTION RING FROM DRUG HOUSE
IN FORT WORTH EACH SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON

Case Began With Crime Stoppers Tip and
Led to Seizure of $2 Million in Methamphetamine

FORT WORTH, Texas — Giovanni Teran, 19, and Luis Alonzo Pena, 26, were sentenced this morning in federal court by U.S. District Judge John McBryde on convictions related to their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from a drug house in Fort Worth, announced James T. Jacks, acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Judge McBryde sentenced Teran and Pena to 264 months’ imprisonment each. Teran was convicted at trial in September on all three counts of a superseding indictment charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and maintaining a drug-involved premise. Pena pled guilty prior to trial to the same charges.

Teran and Pena used a house located at 5928 Sidewinder Trail in north Fort Worth as part of a methamphetamine operation. Law enforcement officers began the investigation of the house after they received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip and went to the residence and conducted a “knock and talk.” They were greeted at the door by Pena, who gave them consent to search the residence.

When the officers entered the house they immediately noticed a strong odor, which they knew, based on their training, was consistent with the manufacture of methamphetamine. Pena led officers to a marijuana pipe on the kitchen counter.

The officers then conducted an organized search of the house with the aid of other officers from the Fort Worth Police Department and special agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). During the search, officers found more than seven kilograms of crystalized methamphetamine that was nearly 100% pure and two pots of liquid methamphet-amine that would have produced 8.8 kilograms of pure crystalized methamphetamine. Officers also found some methamphetamine that had been “cut,” as well as scales, a heat sealer, bags used for packaging, a cutting agent, and chemicals used in combining the methamphetamine with the cutting agent.

The total value of the drugs in the house was just under $2 million. Officers involved in the case testified at trial that this was one of the largest stashes of pure methamphetamine that they had ever seen in Tarrant County.

Mr. Jacks praised the excellent investigative efforts of the DEA and the Fort Worth Police Department Narcotics Unit.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert A. Klinck and J. Michael Worley prosecuted the case.

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