Las Vegas man sentenced in meth case
A Las Vegas man who possessed more than 6 kilograms of methamphetamine has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, the U.S. attorney’s office announced Wednesday.
John Ortega, 25, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro.
According to court records, law enforcement investigators learned in early 2013 that Ortega was supplying large quantities of methamphetamine to Keith Alcos of Honolulu. Investigators then learned that Alcos and two others, James Richardson Jr. and George Flores, were traveling from Honolulu to Las Vegas on Aug. 21, 2013, to obtain methamphetamine.
Investigators conducted surveillance in Las Vegas and detected phone calls between Ortega and the others. On Aug. 25, 2013, they followed Ortega from his residence to a storage facility, where he entered a storage unit and left with a black bag.
During a traffic stop, investigators searched Ortega’s vehicle and found about 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. During a later search of the storage unit, they found about 4.5 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, $13,000 and a handgun with an obliterated serial number.
Investigators determined that Ortega rented the storage locker using a fake Mexican driver’s license bearing his photograph but the name of Jose Veltran Perez.
Alcos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is to be sentenced Jan. 8. Richardson and Flores are fugitives, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Contact Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Find her on Twitter: @CarriGeer.
