California man gets federal prison for Oregon drug trafficking
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Southern California man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization that transported illegal narcotics into Oregon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced.
According to court documents, the Albany Police Department obtained information back in December 2019 that a man known as “Pelucha” was a source of the illegal drug supply which crossed from California into Oregon.
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By February 2020, investigators found that a courier working on behalf of Pelucha – who was later determined to be 39-year-old Pedro Verganza of Los Angeles County – was expected to arrive at a fast food restaurant in Albany to complete a sale of methamphetamine and heroin.
Officers reportedly observed Verganza arrive at the restaurant with another individual by car. They then searched their vehicle and found “a cardboard box containing three large heat-sealed and shrink-wrapped packages containing approximately three and a quarter pounds of methamphetamine and two and a quarter pounds of heroin.”
Through lab tests, authorities said they confirmed Verganza’s fingerprints and palm prints were inside the box and on the packages.
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On February 16, 2020, Verganza was charged by federal criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On August 19, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted Verganza on the same charge. On October 13, 2023, Verganza was found guilty on both.
He was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
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