Redwood City Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Trafficking Drugs and Illegal Guns
Defendant Sold Three Pounds of Methamphetamine and Illegal Firearms, Including One Machine Gun
SAN FRANCISCO – Ismael Garcia, a/k/a “Playboy,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, dealing in firearms without a license, and being a felon in possession of firearms, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman. The sentence was handed down by the Honorable Richard Seeborg, U.S. District Judge.
Garcia, 35, of Redwood City, pleaded guilty to the charges on January 17, 2020. According to his application to the court to plead guilty, Garcia admitted that between June and August of 2019 he was a member of a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine. Garcia’s participation in the conspiracy included arranging three one-pound methamphetamine transactions that took place on June 19, July 24, and August 20, 2019. In each instance, Garcia worked with his co-conspirator to obtain the methamphetamine, which Garcia sold to an undercover law enforcement agent.
Garcia also admitted that on June 13, 2019, he sold a fully-automatic machine gun pistol and a 30-round magazine to the same undercover agent. During additional transactions in June of 2019, Garcia sold the undercover agent more illegal guns. At the time, Garcia was a convicted felon and did not have a license to sell firearms.
A federal grand jury indicted Garcia on November 12, 2019, charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A)(viii); three counts distribution of fifty grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(viii); one count of dealing in firearms without a license, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A); one count of possession and transfer of a machine gun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o); and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Garcia pleaded guilty to all charges.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Seeborg also ordered the defendant to serve a five-year period of supervised release. The defendant will begin serving the sentence immediately.
The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force.
This investigation and prosecution is part of OCDETF, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Further Information:
Case #: CR 19-604-RS-1 A copy of this press release will be placed on the U.S. Attorney's Office's website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndca.
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
Judges' calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court's website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office should be directed to Gregg Lowder at 415-436-7044 or by email at Gregg.Lowder@usdoj.gov or Abraham Simmons at 415-436-7264 or by email at Abraham.Simmons@usdoj.gov.
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