FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Ricardo Ballardo Quintero, 33, and Juan Suarez Jr., 28, both of Modesto, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Quintero and Suarez were arrested after delivering 199 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers. Search warrants executed at the homes of both men and vehicles seen leaving those homes shortly after their arrest yielded a total of an additional 27 pounds of methamphetamine, packaging materials, a digital scale, pay owe sheets, receipts for multi-gallon acetone purchases, and approximately $18,500 in cash.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Quintero and Suarez each face a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine, and a term of supervised release of at least five years. 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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