United States Drug Enforcement Administration

FRESNO, Calif. - Jose Soto, 36, resident of Lamont, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John J. Martin announced. 

According to court documents, on May 5, 2016, at his residence in Lamont, Soto possessed over two pounds of methamphetamine that he intended to sell. At the time of his arrest, Soto was on Kern County Mandatory Supervision for a prior narcotics trafficking offense.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kern County Probation Department. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott is prosecuting the case.

Soto is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Dale A. Drozd on March 6, 2017. Soto faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.