Fresno County Men Indicted For Selling Methamphetamine And Heroin

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment today charging Facundo Lopez-Perez, aka Jose Huerta Maldonado, aka Israel Lopez Zasueta, 43, of Del Rey, and Jorge Perez Robles, aka James Gonzalo Jara, 41, of Fresno, with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

The indictment alleges that between January 2013 and February 25, 2014, Lopez-Perez and Robles sold methamphetamine and heroin to an undercover officer on numerous occasions. Lopez-Perez possessed more than 18 pounds of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin.

This case is the product of an investigation by a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force made up of members of Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine. 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 defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.