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Press Release

Three Texas Sources of ICE Methamphetamine and Local Distributor Plead Guilty

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Virginia

ABINGDON, VIRGINIA – Three sources of ICE methamphetamine—who supplied a local conspiracy with large quantities of the drug for multiple years—have pled guilty in federal court, along with a local man who was part of the drug distribution network, United States Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. announced today.

Recently in separate hearings before the District Court, Angel Soliz Jr., 37, Angel Soliz Sr., 56, and Ysidro Juarez III, 53, all of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to a lesser-included count of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  As part of his guilty plea, Soliz Jr. agreed to forfeit more than $800,000 which was seized from his home in Texas.

According to evidence presented by prosecutors, the Texas-trio admitted to being the source of much of the ICE methamphetamine that was sold in a multi-defendant conspiracy and which has resulted in more than a dozen federal convictions in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.  Soliz Sr. and Soliz Jr. coordinated the supply of methamphetamine from Texas, while Juaerz worked under them to help distribute the drug.  During the course of the conspiracy, various persons from Eastern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia would travel to Texas to purchase methamphetamine and subsequently transport it back via interstate highways, avoiding law enforcement detection along the way.  Once the ICE methamphetamine had arrived in Kentucky and Virginia, it would be distributed to others.

Also in District Court, Ronald Sizemore, 56, of Kentucky, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute ICE methamphetamine. Sizemore acted as one of the local distributors of the drug.

“This case is a prime example of law enforcement working together to not only stop a conspiracy at the distribution level but following the chain to the source and prosecuting those folks as well,” U.S. Attorney Fishwick said today. “Methamphetamine abuse is still a major problem in our area and there is still work to be done, but the community should feel good about the amount of drugs that have been taken off their streets with this prosecution.”

The investigation of the case was conducted by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; United States Drug Enforcement Administration; Virginia State Police; Kentucky State Police; Harris County, Texas Sherriff’s Office; and Russell County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Jayne prosecuted the case for the United States.

Updated October 5, 2016

Topic
Drug Trafficking