Date: 11-12-2014

Case Style: United States of America v. Jose Antonio Garcia

Case Number: 4:14-cr-03046-JMG-CRZ

Judge: John M. Gerrard

Court: United States District Court for the District of Nebraska (Lancaster County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Sara E. Fullerton and Nancy A. Svoboda

Defendant's Attorney: Jim Hope for Jose Antonio Garcias

Description: Omaha, NE - Jose Antonio Garcia, 26, of Palmdale, California, was sentenced to five years and 10 months (70 months) in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Garcia was ordered to serve three years on supervised release following the prison term. As part of his plea agreement, Garcia also agreed to forfeit any interest he had in a 2009 Freightliner semi-tractor.

In April of 2014, Garcia, a truck driver, agreed to transport a quantity of methamphetamine to Lincoln. On the evening of April 21, 2014, officers were conducting surveillance in the area of a motel near the Lincoln airport. Officers saw Garcia’s truck arrive at a location near the motel. They also saw a car which had been parked at the motel arrive at the same location. Persons were seen going back and forth between the truck and the car. The car then returned to the motel, and Garcia’s truck headed eastbound on Interstate 80. Garcia was contacted at the Ashland/Waverly scales on eastbound I-80. He admitted he had just delivered an air compressor which he believed contained money or drugs or both. Garcia said he had dropped off a different air compressor in Lincoln two days earlier, but was later told he had delivered the wrong one. As a result, Garcia said he returned to Lincoln on the evening of April 21, 2014, and delivered a second air compressor. He said he expected to be paid $5000 to $6000 for making the trip from California. In the early morning hours of April 22, 2014, officers executed a search warrant on the Lincoln motel room. Three individuals were found in the room along with an air compressor containing approximately 6 ¼ pounds or 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force with assistance from Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement officers.

Outcome: See above

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: