Two Men Plead Guilty to Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Marijuana Trafficking

BOISE – Arcenio Sosa-Solorio, 27, of California, and Bonifacio Carlos-Tafolla, 24, also of California, pleaded guilty this week to possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.

According to court records, both men traveled from California to Idaho to distribute 25 pounds of marijuana to an undercover police officer.  On December 2, 2017, Carlos-Tafolla and Sosa-Solorio arrived in Idaho and met with the undercover officer in an empty parking lot.  After the undercover officer signaled, other officers attempted to arrest the men.  Carlos-Tafolla and Sosa-Solorio, both armed with handguns, fled from officers.  Sosa-Solorio brandished a pistol as he fled.  When the undercover officer threw Sosa-Solorio to the ground, Sosa-Solorio fired his handgun, nearly striking the officer.  The officer knocked the gun out of Sosa-Solorio’s hands and arrested him.  Officers found Carlos-Tafolla nearby.  He said that he threw his pistol on the ground.  Investigators found his loaded .40 caliber pistol nearby.  Officers also found both men had approximately 35 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle.

The charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.  The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence up to life, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of five years.  However, where a firearm is discharged, the mandatory minimum term of imprisonment is ten years.

Sentencings for both men are set for August 9, 2018, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

This case was investigated by the Idaho State Police, the Twin Falls Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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