Yakima -- Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that, Luis Alberto Oregon-Sanchez, age 25, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced for manufacturing more than 100 marijuana plants, a crime to which he had previously pleaded guilty. Senior United States District Judge Fred Van Sickle imposed a 5 year term of imprisonment to be followed by a 4 year term of court supervision upon Oregon-Sanchez' release from Federal prison.

According to court documents, on March 12, 2012, Oregon-Sanchez was arrested at an indoor marijuana grow in Moxee, Washington. Law enforcement officers discovered nearly 300 marijuana plants in various rooms of the house. Two weeks earlier, Oregon-Sanchez had resided at a different house that burned down due to an electrical overload caused by marijuana grow lamps. During the sentencing hearing today, Senior Judge Van Sickle stated, "The quantity of marijuana plants involved did not even come close to the amount permitted under Washington State's new recreational marijuana use law."

Michael C. Ormsby emphasized that, "The Drug Enforcement Administration and its law enforcement partners should be commended for their efforts in investigating this, and other, large marijuana growing operations here in the Eastern District of Washington."

This investigation was conducted by the Yakima-based DEA Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Ian L. Garriques, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.

12-CR-2035-FV

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