San Francisco Man Sentenced to Thirteen Years for Transporting Drugs

Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ricardo Jiminez-Noveno, 29, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 156 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as cocaine and marijuana, with the intent to distribute. After he completes his prison sentence, Jiminez-Noveno will also serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

On November 4, 2021, Esteban Dejesus Huerta Rocha, along with Jose Alfredo Ek-Poot and Jiminez-Noveno, were traveling east on Interstate 80 near Grand Island when they were stopped by a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol for driving at 87 mph in a 75-mph zone. Rocha was the driver, Jiminez-Noveno was the front seat passenger, and Ek-Poot was seated in the back. When the trooper approached the car, he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the car and he saw a bag of marijuana inside the car. When troopers searched the car, a mason jar containing marijuana was located in the front passenger door compartment. A backpack containing a methamphetamine pipe was discovered on the front passenger floorboard. Rocha was searched and he had a small bag of cocaine in his pocket. In the trunk, troopers found approximately 8.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 5.5 pounds of marijuana, and 10.8 ounces of cocaine.

Jiminez-Noveno pleaded guilty on August 30, 2022. Rocha pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022. On October 7, 2022, Rocha was sentenced to a 135-month term of imprisonment, and five years of supervised release. Ek-Poot is set for a trial beginning on January 23, 2023.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.