FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
BALTAZAR ESCOBAR SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings, on September 11, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, BALTAZAR ESCOBAR, age 28, appeared for sentencing. ESCOBAR was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 121months
- Special Assessment: $300
- Supervised Release: 5 years
ESCOBAR was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.
At the sentencing proceeding, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On February 24, 2005, at a business located in Billings Heights, ESCOBAR sold 56.2 grams of cocaine to an undercover detective. The detective paid ESCOBAR $2,400 for the cocaine. The substance was tested by the DEA Western Regional Laboratory and the 56.2 grams were 74 percent pure or 41.5 grams of cocaine.
On March 8, 2005, in a parking lot of a downtown business in Billings, ESCOBAR sold 48.1 grams of cocaine to an undercover detective. The detective paid ESCOBAR $2,400 for the cocaine. The substance was tested by the DEA Western Regional Laboratory and the 48.1 grams were 75 percent pure or 36.0 grams of cocaine.
On March 23, 2005, in the parking lot of another business in downtown Billings, ESCOBAR sold 49.5 grams of cocaine to an undercover detective. The detective paid ESCOBAR $2,400 for the cocaine. The substance was tested by the DEA Western Regional Laboratory and the 49.5 grams were 75 percent pure or 37.1 grams of cocaine.
In April of 2005, agents learned that ESCOBAR was expecting an individual to bring 135 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of methamphetamine to Billings from California.
On April 23, 2005, agents placed an electronically monitored telephone call to ESCOBAR. ESCOBAR told the undercover detective that ESCOBAR was expecting the arrival of a shipment of drugs from California on April 24, 2005.
This information led to the interdiction of two vehicles traveling in tandem on Interstate 90 near Billings on April 24, 2005. The driver of the second vehicle was identified as the individual ESCOBAR had told the undercover detective he was expecting.
During a search, law enforcement officers seized 446.9 grams of 99 percent methamphetamine, or 442.4 grams of actual methamphetamine and 136.48 pounds of marijuana.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that ESCOBAR will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, ESCOBAR does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Seykora prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
