Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Attempting to Sell Large Amounts of Fentanyl, Cocaine and Methamphetamine

 FRESNO, Calif. — Jose Mario Quintero Beltran, 31, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on March 31, Quintero Beltran arranged to meet a customer at a Bakersfield shopping mall and sell him 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl for $42,000. During their meeting, Quintero Beltran also offered to sell the customer methamphetamine. Afterwards, law enforcement officers searched Quintero Beltran’s vehicle and residence and located a total of 51,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, approximately 40 pounds of cocaine, and approximately 3 pounds of crystal and liquid methamphetamine, all of which Quintero Beltran intended to distribute to others.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker is prosecuting the case.

Quintero Beltran is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Sept. 7. Quintero Beltran faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum life sentence, and up to a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.