Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Ship Methamphetamine And Cocaine To The Philippines In Redwood City
SAN FRANCISCO - - Gabriel Uribe-Bautista pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco on April 23, 2013 to distribution of cocaine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.
In pleading guilty, Uribe-Bautista admitted that on August 24, 2012, he possessed and attempted to ship two packages to the Philippines containing a total of 2.87 net kilograms of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and 27.96 net grams of cocaine. Uribe-Bautista admitted that he obtained the methamphetamine and cocaine from an individual with the understanding that he would ship them to the Philippines, and he accepted money from the individual in return for arranging shipment of the drugs. On August, 24, 2012, Uribe-Bautista traveled from Redwood City to the ABS-CBN International shipping company in Redwood Shores, California, with packages containing the methamphetamine and cocaine. He took the packages into the shipping company and arranged for them to be shipped to the Philippines, using a fake name that he had been given to put on the boxes. Uribe-Bautista admitted that he had previously shipped packages for the same individual in a similar manner.
Uribe-Bautista, 37 years old, a Mexican citizen, was indicted by a federal Grand Jury on January 3, 2013. He was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A)(viii), (b)(1)(C). Under the plea agreement, Uribe-Bautista pleaded guilty to both counts.
Uribe-Bautista has been in continuous federal custody since December 27, 2012.
Uribe-Bautista’s sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2013 before Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco. The maximum statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (b)(1)(A)(viii) is life imprisonment and a fine of $10,000,000. This violation also carries a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalty for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) (b)(1)(C) is 20 years and a fine of $1,000,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force.
