Two Bakersfield residents pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking offenses, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.
Guillermo Magallanes, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and Pasqual Gonzales Magallanes, 44, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, the defendants conspired with Juan Lascano Jr. 32, of Bakersfield, to distribute pound-quantities of methamphetamine in the Bakersfield area. In addition to the criminal charges, the United States is seeking the forfeiture of $31, 242, a 2014 Lexus IS250 F Sport, and a 2012 Acura TL sedan as proceeds of the illegal drug trafficking activity. Lascano pleaded guilty on July 27, 2015, to distribution of methamphetamine.
This case is the product of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by: the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Guillermo Magallanes and Pasqual Gonzales Magallanes are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on December 14, 2015. Lascano is scheduled to be sentenced October 19, 2015. Guillermo Magallanes faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $5 million fine and Pasqual Gonzales Magallanes and Juan Lascano Jr. face a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
