McALLEN, Texas – A 49-year-old Mission resident has been ordered to federal prison for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
The jury deliberated for approximately 40 minutes before convicting Eugenio Perez Jr. following a two-day trial which included three witnesses.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane, who presided over the trial and sentencing, ordered Perez to serve 135 months in federal prison.
According to the testimony, authorities discovered 1.6 kilograms of meth while investigating a drag racing incident that resulted in a two-car collision.
At trial, the jury heard from a local police officer who explained how Perez crashed into an SUV pulling out of a parking lot. The officer approached Perez after observing him pull a bag from his truck’s cab and place it into the bed of the truck. He instructed Perez to not take anything from the vehicle.
Perez’s daughter arrived on the scene. At that time, she took the bag from the bed of the truck and placed it in her car, according to testimony.
The officer further testified that he stopped her from leaving the area and asked her to show him what was inside the bag. The daughter opened the bag which was found to contain approximately 1.6 kilograms of meth.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that law enforcement had rushed to judgment and did not perform an adequate and thorough enough investigation to convict Perez. The jury disagreed and found him guilty as charged.
Perez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Palmview Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Mitchell and M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.
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