FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 24, 2008
RUBEN MARTINEZ and JOSE MORALES-PENA 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 Missoula, on January 24, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, RUBEN MARTINEZ and JOSE MORALES-PENA, residents of Butte, appeared for sentencing.
MARTINEZ was sentenced to the following term after having been found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, and harboring an illegal alien:
- Prison: 188 months
- Special Assessment: $200
- Supervised Release: 5 years
MORALES-PENA was sentenced to the following term after having been found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine:
- Prison: 188 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 5 years
They were sentenced after having been found guilty during a 11/2 -day federal district court trial .
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that MARTINEZ and MORALES-PENA will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, MARTINEZ and MORALES-PENA do 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 Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
