Five people have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine that was shipped through the mail from California to Austin, Minn., announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger on Monday.
Four of the defendants sentenced were from southern Minnesota, including Esteban Ambriz, Jr., 22, Lori Beth Luna, 32, Angela Dawn Martin, 26, all of Austin, and Kyria Idarmis Bautista Roldan, 34, of Albert Lea.
According to court documents, between the fall of 2021 and the summer of 2022, the fifth defendant, Michael Anthony Ortiz, 44, of San Jose, Calif., sent packages of high purity methamphetamine to Ambriz, Luna, Martin, Roldan, and other unnamed members involved in the conspiracy to distribute throughout the Austin area.
All five defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Roldan was sentenced on Nov. 16, 2023, to 100 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Ortiz was sentenced on Oct. 18, 2023, to 180 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Martin was sentenced on Sept. 27, 2023, to 96 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Ambriz and Luna were sentenced on Aug. 22, 2023, to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, respectively. U.S. District Judge Ann D. Montgomery imposed the sentences.
According to the most recent statistics from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), among people who were admitted to substance use disorder treatment in Minnesota, methamphetamines were the second leading substance used at admission following alcohol. MDH reports there were 503 deaths in 2022 involving psychostimulants, which includes methamphetamine, across the state.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
