Mexican man pleads to methamphetamine trafficking, money laundering while serving a sentence in an Oklahoma state prison

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — An illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty Friday to methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering while he was serving a sentence in an Oklahoma state prison.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Oscar Garcia, 46, was in Oklahoma state custody serving a prison sentence on an unrelated drug-trafficking conviction at the time he committed the crimes to which he pleaded guilty Oct. 7. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Garcia will be sentenced to 15 years in prison; after he completes his sentence, he will be turned over to ICE custody and placed in removal proceedings.

Garcia was charged in a nine-count indictment filed in April 2016, with co-defendants Leslie Frank Williams, 52; Andy Garcia, 43; and Domingo Rodriguez, 46, all of Deming, New Mexico; and Estella Aguilar, 44, of Tucson, Arizona.

The indictment alleged that the five co-defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine from July 2015 through April 2016.  It also charged Williams with distributing methamphetamine on four occasions between January and September 2015. Williams and Rodriguez were charged with distributing methamphetamine in November 2015.  Rodriguez, Oscar Garcia and Andy Garcia were charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute in January 2016.

The indictment also charged Rodriguez, Oscar Garcia and Aguilar with conspiring to commit money laundering offenses Feb. 10, 2016; and Aguilar was charged with committing money laundering Feb. 10, 2016.  According to the indictment, these crimes took place in Luna County, New Mexico. The indictment includes forfeiture allegations seeking forfeiture of $1 million in drug proceeds.

On Friday, Oscar Garcia admitted that from June 2015 through May 2016, while operating from his Oklahoma prison cell, used a cellphone to facilitate distributing about 4.5 kilograms (about 10 pounds) of methamphetamine.  Oscar Garcia further admitted that from Feb. 8 to Feb. 10, 2016, he arranged for a person to travel from Arizona to Deming to pick up drug proceeds and deliver the money to a co-conspirator.  Oscar Garcia remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

To date, three other defendants have entered guilty pleas related to this crime. Andy Garcia pleaded guilty Oct. 5, 2016, and, under the terms of his plea agreement, he will be sentenced to 10 years in prison.  Rodriguez and Williams entered guilty pleas Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, 2016, respectively.  Sentencing hearings for these three defendants have yet to be scheduled. Aguilar pleaded not guilty to charges in the indictment. 

Charges in indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.