SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment Thursday against Efrain Valentin, 54, of Sacramento, charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2022, Efrain Valentin supplied approximately 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine to another individual for the purpose of selling it to a purported customer. The customer was in fact a confidential informant working for law enforcement.
On March 1, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Valentin’s residence and arrested him. On the premises, investigators found approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine and a derringer-style handgun. Valentin is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.
If convicted on the methamphetamine counts, Valentin faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years, up to a maximum life in prison, and a $10 million fine. If convicted on the firearm count, Valentin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.