BOISE, Idaho - Sadith Chavez-Perez, 23, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2014, in United States District Court to distribution of methamphetamine. Chavez-Perez was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise, Idaho, on February 11, 2014. According to the plea agreement, on March 27, 2013, Chavez-Perez...

FRESNO, Calif. - Victor Anthony Nottoli, 51, of Hillsborough, Calif., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of causing at least 24 tons of misbranded smokable synthetic (SSC) to be introduced into interstate commerce. Four defendants arrested last week for manufacturing...

SPOKANE, Wash. - Arnulfo Gomez Tejeda, 39, of Pasco, Washington, was sentenced on May 13, 2014, after having previously pleaded guilty on September 12, 2013, to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Tejeda was sentenced to an 18 year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 10 year term...

SEATTLE - The tenant who rented the basement of a home in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood, and his heroin supplier, have both been charged with gun and drug crimes after selling heroin and a firearm to a person working with law enforcement. At the time of the arrests last week, law...

FRESNO, Calif. - Mark Jeff Zeldes, 52, of Broomfield, Colo., appeared in federal court today in Fresno to face charges contained in an indictment of cultivating and distributing marijuana. According to court documents, between June 1, 2009 and March 9, 2010, Zeldes was responsible for a large-scale marijuana cultivation and...

SAN FRANCISCO - Central Valley and Northern California citizens showed their support for the Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day program by dropping off more prescription pills than ever during the April 26, 2014 event. Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners collected more than 40,854 -...

SEATTLE - Americansnationwide showed their support for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’(DEA’s) National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day program by dropping off more prescription pills than ever. After seven previous Take Back Days spread over almost four years, 780,158 - ( 390 - tons) of pills were brought to the...

FRESNO, Calif. - Douglas Jason Way, of Evanston, Ill.; Timothy Ortiz, 43, of Waukegan, Ill.; and Natalie Middleton, 28, of Clovis, Calif., have been arrested as part of a nationwide law enforcement effort to combat the threat of synthetic drugs. The arrests were announced by United States Attorney Benjamin B...

FRESNO, Calif. - A three-month multi-agency law enforcement operation, “Operation Red Eye,” culminated today with the arrest of several methamphetamine traffickers and the search of more than 30 locations. According to court documents, six individuals are being charged federally with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and other controlled substances: Luis Tejeda-Hurtado...

FRESNO, Calif. - Leopoldo “Polo” Rodriguez, 42, resident of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute, marijuana. According to court documents, Rodriguez and his fellow conspirators planned to send large quantities of marijuana from Bakersfield to Memphis, Tennessee. On August 26, 2013...