Wednesday, September 10, 2014

3rd suspect pleads guilty in meth indictment

Defendant admits to one count of drug distribution


By TERRY SMITH
Express Staff Writer

Ricardo Torres-Gomez and Roberto Martinez-Perez

    A third man indicted by a Blaine County grand jury in February on felony methamphetamine charges pleaded guilty Monday to a single count of distribution of the drug.
    Ricardo Torres-Gomez, 23, of Bellevue, entered his plea in Blaine County 5th District Court. He was originally charged in the indictment with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
    Torres-Gomez is one of four men charged in the indictment. Two others earlier pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, while the fourth is awaiting jury trial. All four were arrested on March 20 in a sweep conducted by the Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement team, with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies, including Idaho State Police and the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agency.
    Ricardo Torres-Gomez, represented by Hailey attorney Douglas Nelson, is currently free on $75,000 bond. He is also charged with probation violation for a 2013 felony conviction of possession of methamphetamine.
    At Monday’s hearing, Judge Robert J. Elgee advised Torres-Gomez that delivery of methamphetamine is punishable in Idaho by up to life in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. The judge also advised the defendant, who has legal residency in the United States, that he could face deportation for the guilty plea by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
    “I have no control over what ICE might do,” Elgee said.
    According to a plea agreement, the second count of distribution of methamphetamine against Torres-Gomez will be dismissed. Also, the Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will recommend that he receive a prison sentence that was suspended for this earlier methamphetamine possession conviction. For that conviction, Torres-Gomez was given a three-year determinate and two-year indeterminate prison sentence, sentenced to 28 days in the Blaine County jail and placed on probation for three years.
    Elgee advised the defendant that the court is not bound by the recommendation of the prosecuting attorney’s office. The judge scheduled sentencing for Nov. 10.
    Also facing sentencing on Nov. 10 is another man indicted by the grand jury. Roberto Martinez-Perez, who remains incarcerated on $70,000 bond, pleaded guilty on Sept. 3 to a single count of delivery of a controlled substance.
    Martinez-Perez, 34, of Hailey, was originally charged in the indictment with aiding and abetting trafficking in methamphetamine, also punishable by up to life in prison. Illegal drug delivery charges are considered lesser offenses than illegal drug trafficking charges because trafficking convictions carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence.
    A third indicted defendant, Carlos Moya-Diaz, pleaded guilty to trafficking in methamphetamine in August and sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 27. Moya-Diaz, 29, of Hailey, is currently free on $15,000 bond.
    The fourth defendant, Gildardo Orozco, 37, of Hailey, faces a jury trial scheduled for Nov. 12. He is charged in the indictment with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine.
    Orozco is also charged with a third felony, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, for a crime he allegedly committed in March after the indictment was issued. A jury trial in that case is scheduled for Nov. 5.
    Orozco remains incarcerated in the Blaine County jail on $50,000 bond from the indictment charges and $15,000 for the later alleged offense.




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