From Niesha Lofing:
A Redding man was sentenced this week to nearly 20 years in prison for playing an essential role in a Yuba City drug deal.
Jesus Valencia Ontiveros, 24, was convicted in federal court of conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ontiveros, one of seven people indicted in the case, had pled guilty earlier this year before some of his co-defendants came to trial, according to a news release by U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott's office.
The situation began to unfold in December 2006, when the Drug Enforcement Agency used an informant to negotiate a methamphetamine deal with a person in Colusa.
Ontiveros emerged as a central figure in the plan to deliver a large amount of meth to the informant, federal prosecutors said.
On Feb. 24, 2007, Ontiveros and five other people traveled from Corning to Yuba City to deliver four pounds of meth. The six people traveled in three cars and arrived in a Wal-Mart parking lot just before midnight, prosecutors said.
A co-defendant driving with Ontiveros had a loaded .357 caliber handgun and three other co-defendants, who were on security-detail during the drug deal, arrived in a truck carrying an SKS military rifle and ammunition, prosecutors said.
Law enforcement arrested the six people after the drugs were shown to the informant.
The case was investigated by the DEA and Net-5, a drug task force comprised of Yuba and Sutter county law enforcement.
Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. presided over the sentencing and described Ontiveros as an "enthusiastic participant" whose "role was essential" to completing the deal, the release states.
Four other co-defendants have been sentenced as follows: Jose Luis Villanueva Diaz, more than 11 years, Sabas Miramontes, more than 12 years, Margarito Ramirez Caballero, more than 24 years, Ricardo Diaz, more than 24 years.
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