California and Ohio Residents Plead Guilty to Trafficking 15 Kilograms of Methamphetamine

A California resident and an Ohio resident pled guilty last week to federal charges involving their participation in trafficking over fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine.

            Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, and Scott Israel, Sheriff, Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.

Defendants Ricardo Zavala, 24, of California, and Jeffery Clevenger, 65, of Ohio, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation to Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846 and 841(b)(1)(A).  According to court documents, the defendants arranged to travel to the Southern District of Florida to sell more than fifteen kilograms of methamphetamine.  On November 20, 2017, the defendants traveled to a hotel located in Broward County.  The defendants subsequently transported the narcotics and were taken into custody. 

At sentencing, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment.  The sentencing hearings are set for April 12, 2018, at 10:30 and 11:00 A.M. before Senior U.S. District Judge William Zloch in Fort Lauderdale.

            Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI and BSO.  This case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.