Press Release
Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California
FRESNO, Calif. — Hacel Alfredo Alvarez, 36, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. In addition, U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd ordered the forfeiture of Alvarez’s residence, which was used to facilitate his drug trafficking activities.
Alvarez pleaded guilty on Jan. 27. According to court documents, during the execution of a search warrant, officers found 21 pounds of methamphetamine and over 1 pound of heroin at his residence in Bakersfield. The officers also found over $10,000 in cash, which was previously forfeited. Alvarez admitted that he had been distributing methamphetamine for over one and a half years.
At sentencing, Judge Drozd stated that the sheer quantities of drugs involved are too significant to cast aside. Alvarez’s conduct was “serious” and his “ongoing criminal behavior” justified a lengthy sentence.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Southern Tri-County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, which consists of agents from Homeland Security Investigations and Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen A. Escobar and Kevin Khasigian prosecuted the case.
Updated November 16, 2020
Topic
Drug Trafficking
Component