Six Bakersfield Residents Indicted For Conspiracy To Distribute Methamphetamine
FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Carlos Gerardo Blanco, 25; Salvador Morales, 26; Jose Alejandro Jacobo, 23; Josefina Blanco, 23; Justin Alan Rivera, 20; and Henry Polin Morales III, 20 all residents of Bakersfield, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin announced.
According to court documents, from November 1, 2014, to December 9, 2015, the defendants conspired to distribute pound quantities of methamphetamine in and outside the Bakersfield area.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Carlos Gerardo Blanco, Salvador Morales, and Jacobo face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Josefina Blanco, Rivera, and Henry Polin Morales III face a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task (OCDETF). The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
