FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
JUAN GABRIEL FLORES a/k/a ABRAHAM GOYTIA 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 February 12, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, JUAN GABRIEL FLORES a/k/a Abraham Goytia, a 31-year-old resident of Denver, Colorado, appeared for sentencing. FLORES was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 170 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 5 years
FLORES was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
At the sentencing proceeding, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
FLORES was involved with several other individuals in a conspiracy to distribute kilo quantities of cocaine. Law enforcement agents working undercover seized two kilograms of purported cocaine being brought to Montana from Colorado.
FLORES and several other individuals were arrested in Billings.
When tested, the purported cocaine was found to contain powdered cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that FLORES will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, FLORES 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.
