FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Jose Miguel Perez, 42, of Corona, charging him with possessing with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 1 kilogram of heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Perez was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on Interstate 5 in Fresno County. Deputies seized 56 kilograms of various narcotics in the car’s two hidden compartments. Seven kilograms of cocaine were hidden in the ceiling of the car, while an additional 37 kilograms of cocaine, 10 kilograms of heroin, and 2 kilograms of ketamine were seized from a hidden compartment in the car’s roof.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Perez faces a statutory minimum of 10 years with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
