Houston Man Gets 14 Years For Possessing Methamphetamine

HOUSTON – Houston resident Francisco Rodriguez, 22, has been sentenced to a total of 168 months for possessing with the intent to distribute multiple kilograms of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson. Rodriguez pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2013, to possessing a gross weight of more than five kilograms of 90% pure methamphetamine.

According to court records, Rodriguez negotiated a deal for the purchase of methamphetamine with undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. On Nov. 9, 2012, Rodriguez met with an undercover officer in a Houston area business parking lot to complete the transaction. Rodriguez pulled a backpack out of the toolbox of the truck that he had driven to the meeting, opened it and showed the agent several plastic containers. According to court records, he opened one of the containers and revealed a crystal-like substance, at which time he was arrested. 

The substance tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine with 90% purity. The methamphetamine had a gross weight of 5.54 kilograms.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner, who handed down the sentence today, further ordered he serve five years of supervised release following completion of the prison term. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The case was investigated by HSI, Customs and Border Protection Air Unit, Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard J. Magness as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.