Current:Home > InvestElderly couple who trafficked meth in Idaho, Northwest, sentenced to years in prison-VaTradeCoin
Elderly couple who trafficked meth in Idaho, Northwest, sentenced to years in prison
View Date:2025-01-08 15:59:41
An elderly married couple living in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison days before Valentine's Day for selling meth to undercover police officers and hiding pounds of the illicit drug in the floorboard of their vehicle while entering Idaho.
Efren Avilez-Lopez, 81, and Maria Medina-Zeveda, 70, both pleaded guilty in an Idaho federal courtroom to possession with intent to distribute meth, according to court records. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye handed down a nine-year sentence to Avilez-Lopez, and a three-year judgment to his wife, Medina-Zeveda, court documents show.
Avilez-Lopez's sentencing hearing was Feb. 12, while his wife's came a day later on the eve of Valentine's Day.
How the married couple got caught
The couple popped up on authorities' radar April 15, 2023, when they sold an undercover police officer five pounds of meth in the parking lot of a Nampa, Idaho store, a Justice Department news release said. The couple would do the same thing 10 days later, but this time, they sold 20 pounds of meth to another undercover officer, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Authorities — including the DEA, Nampa police and other local agencies — assisted in apprehending the couple May 12, 2023, after they drove from Ontario, Oregon to Los Angeles to pick up 21 pounds of meth, according to court documents. While driving home in their Dodge Caravan minivan, the couple was stopped in Idaho by police in Owyhee County who found the meth in the floorboards of the vehicle, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. In addition to the meth, the couple was also transporting four family members, including a minor child.
Medina-Zeveda 'used as a mule,' defense attorney says
Medina-Zeveda "worked hard and lawfully all of her life," Elisa G Massoth, her defense attorney, told USA TODAY.
"She raised a beautiful family," Massoth said.
Massoth called Medina-Zeveda's punishment "harsh" and said her client "was used a mule."
USA TODAY contacted Avilez-Lopez's federal public defenders but did not receive a response.
Married couple to be deported after completing sentences
As a part of the couple's plea agreement, Medina Zeveda and Avilez-Lopez will be deported to Mexico after they finish their sentences since they were living in the country illegally, court documents show.
The couple fled to the U.S. in 2005 after one of their sons was murdered in Mexico, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office told USA TODAY. They arrived in Texas and ultimately moved to Ontario, Oregon where they remained without authorization.
Massoth said in Idaho, and as a nation, the justice system over-incarcerates its citizens and citizens of other countries.
"Incarceration is never a good solution for someone like Ms. Medina-Zeveda," she said.
NY drug bust:Puerto Rico man convicted of trafficking tons of cocaine hidden inside furniture
'Not common' to find elderly drug traffickers, U.S. attorney says
After announcing the couple's sentencings, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said it's "not common" to find drug traffickers "at this stage of life."
"These defendants earned their sentences," Hurwit said in his office's news release. "We will continue to do our part to ensure that justice is applied fairly and equitably to all, regardless of age or background.”
veryGood! (9223)
Related
- Amazon launches an online discount storefront to better compete with Shein and Temu
- 15 Slammin' Secrets of Save the Last Dance
- Winter storm to bring snow, winds, ice and life-threatening chill to US, forecasters warn
- Turkey launches airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria after 9 soldiers were killed
- Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
- Quaker Oats recall expands: Various Cap'n Crunch cereals, Gatorade bars on list for salmonella risk
- Austin ordered strikes from hospital where he continues to get prostate cancer care, Pentagon says
- Republicans push back on Biden plan to axe federal funds for anti-abortion counseling centers
- Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings
- Prosecutors urge rejection of ex-cop’s bid to dismiss civil rights conviction in George Floyd murder
Ranking
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixed Use
- How much do surrogates make and cost? People describe the real-life dollars and cents of surrogacy.
- Turkey launches airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria after 9 soldiers were killed
- Pat McAfee. Aaron Rodgers. Culture wars. ESPN. Hypocrisy. Jemele Hill talks it all.
- Horoscopes Today, November 11, 2024
- Blinken meets Chinese and Japanese diplomats, seeks stability as Taiwan voters head to the polls
- Khloe Kardashian Shares Why She Doesn’t “Badmouth” Ex Tristan Thompson
- Iowa campaign events are falling as fast as the snow as the state readies for record-cold caucuses
Recommendation
-
Kim Kardashian Says She's Raising Her and Kanye West's 4 Kids By Herself
-
Simon Cowell’s Cute New Family Member Has Got a Talent for Puppy Dog Eyes
-
NFL All-Pro: McCaffrey, Hill, Warner unanimous; 14 first-timers
-
Macklin Celebrini named top midseason prospect in 2024 NHL draft. Who has best lottery odds?
-
Inside Dream Kardashian's Sporty 8th Birthday Party
-
2 rescued after SUV gets stuck 10 feet in the air between trees in Massachusetts
-
U.S. warns of using dating apps after suspicious deaths of 8 Americans in Colombia
-
How much do surrogates make and cost? People describe the real-life dollars and cents of surrogacy.