Kern County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute It

FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Soto, 36, of Lamont, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on May 5, 2016, at his residence, Soto possessed over two pounds of methamphetamine that he intended to sell. At the time of his arrest, Soto was on Kern County Mandatory Supervision for a prior narcotics trafficking offense.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kern County Probation Department. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott is prosecuting the case.

Soto is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2017, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Soto faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.