Couple Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Firearm Offenses in Lexington, KY
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A couple from Fresno, California, has been sentenced to federal prison for drug and firearm offenses. Chief U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell formally sentenced the couple on Wednesday, February 7, 2018.
Jessica Acosta, 29, and Luis R. Morales-Montanez, 27, were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Both were also convicted of possessing nine firearms during and in furtherance of the drug crimes.
In their guilty pleas, Acosta and Morales-Montanez previously admitted that they traveled from Fresno to Lexington and established a residence on Larkin Road in early 2017. They then possessed with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine from the residence. They also admitted that the cash found was proceeds of the distribution of drugs and that the 2013 truck and nine firearms were used in furtherance of the distribution of drugs.
Additionally, on October 25, 2017, a federal jury convicted both of possessing with the intent to distribute more than half a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine, which they had concealed in another apartment near their Larkin Road address.
Under federal law, both Acosta and Morales-Montanez must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences; and upon release, they will each be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for five years.
The cases were prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The sentences were jointly announced by Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA; and Acting Chief of Police Ron Compton, Lexington Police Department.
Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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