(WJET/WFXP/YourErie.com) — A California man was sentenced in federal court Friday for conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl that was found during a Pennsylvania traffic stop.
Gabriel Garcia, 27, a former resident of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced in federal court up to 72 months in prison and three years supervised release for conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, according to the Western District of Pennsylvania Department of Justice.
According to information presented to the court, on May 26, 2021, a Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) trooper initiated a traffic stop on a 2002 Infinity N35 that had violated the vehicle code for bicycles mounted on its rear which was obscuring the license plate.
It was reported that the PSP Trooper recognized the vehicle, bicycles, and the passenger from an April 2021 traffic stop. It was also found that the vehicle had made three coast-to-coast trips during a five-month period.
The passenger, who the vehicle was registered to, consented to a search of the vehicle, which revealed 21 kilograms of cocaine and eight kilograms of fentanyl.
PSP conducted the traffic stop leading to the seizure of the controlled substances, and special agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation leading to the conviction.