KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Desert Hot Springs, California, man pleaded guilty in federal court today to smuggling more than four kilograms of methamphetamine from Los Angeles, Calif., to Indianapolis, Indiana aboard a bus traveling through Kansas City, Missouri.
Gary A. Aquerrebere, 63, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to today’s plea agreement, Aquerrebere was traveling through Kansas City on April 15, 2019. Members of the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) utilized a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to a suitcase in the luggage compartment of the bus. Initially, none of the passengers on the bus claimed ownership of the luggage, which had a baggage claim ticket with Aquerrebere’s name, but eventually Aquerrebere admitted the suitcase was his.
When officers searched the suitcase, they found 10 bundles inside a cardboard box. The bundles, wrapped in clear cellophane and black electrical tape, contained a total of 4.356 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Under federal statutes, Aquerrebere is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Michael Green. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.