TAMPA, Fla. — A Pasco County man has pleaded guilty to cocaine charges, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).
Raymond Montanez, 42, of Land O’ Lakes, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
Each count carries a minimum mandatory term of five years and up to 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
US Attorney Roger B. Handberg made the announcement.
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According to court documents, beginning at an unknown time and continuing through May 11, 2023, Mr Montanez conspired with others to distribute cocaine and possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Montanez reportedly imported the cocaine through the mail and sold it from points within the Middle District of Florida.
On March 17, 2023, Mr Montanez reportedly sold 209 grams of a substance to an undercover officer. On April 13, 2023, Montanez is said to have sold approximately 200 grams of a substance to an undercover officer.
Eleven days later, agents said they observed Mr Montanez travel to Jupiter, where he met with a co-conspirator and retrieved a package containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
After confirming Montanez was the sole occupant of the vehicle, a traffic stop was conducted, and the cocaine was reportedly seized. A lab analysis by the Drug Enforcement Administration later confirmed that the seized substance was cocaine, weighing 999.1 grams.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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