FRESNO, Calif. — Louis Torres, 37, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on July 23, 2021, Torres was driving a vehicle in Bakersfield that was stopped by police officers for traffic violations. After exiting his vehicle, Torres fled on foot, but was pursued and apprehended by police. After Torres was arrested, police officers discovered that he possessed methamphetamine and heroin that he intended to distribute to others. At the time of his arrest, Torres was under active court supervision for a burglary conviction and had a suspended driver’s license.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.
Torres is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Aug. 8, 2022. Torres faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of up to 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million. The actual sentence, however, will 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.