A jury trial was averted for a man investigators consider a major figure in a large Blaine County drug bust last April after the suspect pleaded guilty Monday to two felonies in 5th District Court.
Tristar Peon Ontiveros, who was 30 at the time of his arrest on April 11, was originally charged in a Blaine County grand jury indictment with 10 felonies, including four counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, one count of delivery of methamphetamine and five counts of failure to affix drug tax stamps.
Trial was scheduled to start Tuesday but was cancelled after Ontiveros entered guilty pleas Monday before District Court Judge Robert J. Elgee. The guilty pleas were in accord with a plea agreement with the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Terms of the agreement were not available Tuesday.
Sentencing for Ontiveros, who remains incarcerated on $500,000 bond, was scheduled for Nov. 15.
Ontiveros, who lives in Hailey, was one of ten suspects arrested in the drug bust. Several of the other suspects have already pleaded guilty or are considering plea agreements with the prosecutor's office.
Rameros Snow Hernandez, a 21-year-old Hailey man originally indicted on eight felonies, pleaded guilty last month to one count of delivery of methamphetamine and one count of failure to affix drug tax stamps. Sentencing was scheduled for Nov. 5.
Another Hailey man, Carlos Moya-Diaz, who was 22 at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty in August to one count of trafficking in cocaine. He was originally charged with eight felonies. Sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 22.
As part of a plea agreement with Moya-Diaz, two felony charges were dismissed against the suspect's wife, 22-year-old Erika Moya. She was originally indicted on charges if aiding and abetting trafficking in cocaine and aiding and abetting possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver where children are present.
Tristar Peon Ontiveros
