BARSTOW, CA – A ruthless drug deal gone wrong left one man dead in the California desert and landed two Los Angeles men lengthy federal prison sentences. Edgar Arrendondo, 31, and Jose Pimentel, 35, both of Los Angeles, were sentenced yesterday for their roles in a sprawling methamphetamine conspiracy that stretched from the streets of Southern California to the small town of Cortland, New York.
The case began to unravel in late 2018, when Kyle Leeper, the central figure in the operation, began sourcing methamphetamine from Indiana and Southern California. Leeper, operating in Cortland County, New York, received contact information for Indiana dealer John Rice from an incarcerated associate, Crystal Stephens. Twice in late 2018 and early 2019, Leeper traveled to Indiana, securing crystal meth and a .380 caliber pistol. But when Rice was arrested in January 2019, Leeper looked west, toward Los Angeles, for a new supply.
Stephens, still behind bars, provided Leeper with leads in East Los Angeles. Leeper and his associate, Ramon Nieves-Cotto, drove cross-country, eventually connecting with Jose Pimentel. On January 17, 2019, a deal was struck: three pounds of crystal methamphetamine for $5,000. But Leeper quickly discovered he’d been shortchanged. Enraged, he abducted both Pimentel’s middleman and Arlene Rodriguez, holding them at gunpoint. The situation escalated horrifically in the desolate landscape near Barstow, California, where Leeper executed the bound middleman with eight shots from the .380 pistol. Nieves-Cotto and Rodriguez were complicit in the abduction and subsequent cover-up.
Undeterred by the murder, Leeper, Nieves-Cotto, and Rodriguez drove back to Cortland with the reduced quantity of methamphetamine. Shortly after, they returned to Los Angeles, where Leeper secured an additional six to eight pounds of the drug and a 9mm pistol from Edgar Arrendondo. The operation continued until February 19, 2019, when a routine traffic stop by the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office revealed the ongoing drug trafficking. The vehicle, driven by Leeper, had expired registration.
Yesterday’s sentencing marks the culmination of a complex investigation led by the ATF, FBI, Cortland County Sheriff’s Office, and Barstow Police Department. Edgar Arrendondo received a staggering 240 months (20 years) in federal prison, stemming from the drug conspiracy, his possession of a shotgun and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession of over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Jose Pimentel was sentenced to 151 months (12 years and seven months) for his role in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Both men face five years of post-incarceration supervised release.
While the sentences for Arrendondo and Pimentel have been handed down, Kyle Leeper, the man at the heart of this violent conspiracy, and his associates still face justice. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities untangle the full scope of their drug trafficking network and the extent of the damage inflicted upon the communities of Cortland, New York, and Barstow, California. The case serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of the methamphetamine trade and the lengths to which traffickers will go to protect their profits.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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