ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Beltsville, Maryland man and long-time fugitive pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting a drug-related murder nearly a decade ago.
According to court documents, Saul Pacheco Mejia, 55, arranged to sell cocaine to individuals in Reston on December 12, 2011. On that date, Mejia and two associates arrived at an apartment in Reston in anticipation of the cocaine transaction. Instead of purchasing the cocaine, the intended customer attempted to steal the cocaine and flee. Mejia’s associates chased, shot, and killed the man. Mejia did not have a firearm, but knew the two other individuals did have firearms. Mejia and the others fled to Honduras shortly after the crime. In late 2019, Mejia was located in the United States and arrested in Texas.
Mejia pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the use of a firearm in connection with a drug conspiracy resulting in death. Mejia is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10. Under the plea agreement entered today, the parties have agreed that the Court will not sentence the defendant to more than 25 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David M. Rohrer, Fairfax County Interim Chief of Police and Deputy County Executive for Public Safety, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary is prosecuting the case.
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