Jesse Pina, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, California 2023

More than a pound of methamphetamine pulled from a Reno motel room has landed three California men behind bars — at least for now. Jesse Pina, 26, of Visalia; Daniel Mediano, 29, of Farmersville; and Nicholas Lucky Lozano, 19, also of Farmersville, each pleaded guilty this week to federal drug charges stemming from a June 2019 stash found during a warrant-fueled raid in downtown Reno.

According to court filings, the trio was holed up in a motel room when law enforcement moved in. Inside, agents uncovered 595 grams — roughly 1.3 pounds — of crystal meth, along with a digital scale, $2,880 in cash, and additional money tied directly to a recent drug sale conducted by Pina. The evidence wasn’t subtle. It screamed distribution, not personal use.

Pina pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Mediano and Lozano each admitted to conspiracy to possess meth with intent to distribute. The charges carry brutal penalties: up to life in prison and a $10 million fine for possession, and 20 years plus a $1 million fine for conspiracy.

The operation was the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Regional Crime Suppression Unit — a multi-agency task force that at the time included both the Reno and Sparks Police Departments. Their surveillance and coordinated raid dismantled what prosecutors argue was a small but high-yield trafficking cell.

All three defendants are set to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du on November 16, 2020. While the statutory maximums loom, actual prison terms will hinge on federal sentencing guidelines and aggravating factors laid out in court — including the weight of the drugs, prior records, and the organized nature of the operation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Rachow and Peter Walkingshaw are handling the prosecution. The case, born from a motel tip and sealed with guilty pleas, underscores the federal crackdown on out-of-state traffickers using Nevada’s I-80 corridor as a pipeline for narcotics. These men didn’t slip through. They’re now waiting on a judge’s final word.

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