California man pleads guilty to federal methamphetamine conspiracy

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A California man pleaded guilty today to a federal methamphetamine crime, announced United States Attorney Carol Casto. Edgar Zendejas Bedoy, 35, of El Centro, entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

Bedoy admitted that beginning in December 2011 and continuing into 2012, he conspired with Gary Liberty to send packages of methamphetamine and marijuana from California to an individual in Sissonville for distribution. The individual was actually a confidential informant cooperating with the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team. Through discussions with the informant, Gary Liberty agreed to arrange methamphetamine and marijuana deals for Bedoy with the informant. Liberty negotiated the price of the drugs for Bedoy with the informant, and the two then agreed to ship the packages containing methamphetamine and marijuana from California to the informant in West Virginia. Bedoy admitted to shipping 472 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 12 kilograms of marijuana to West Virginia for distribution.

Bedoy faces at least five and up to 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on July 27, 2017. Liberty was previously sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking.

The Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is responsible for the prosecution. The plea hearing was held before United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin.

This prosecution is part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of illegal drugs in communities across the Southern District.

• Follow us on Twitter: SDWVNews