March 19, 2021 - FRESNO, Calif. - U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Valentin Martinez, 41, of Fresno, today to six years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in May 2019, Martinez was a back-seat passenger in a car when law enforcement officers conducted a traffic-enforcement stop of the car and obtained permission from the driver to search it. Next to where Martinez was seated, officers found a tool bag with a firearm, ammunition, a scale, and plastic bags. Martinez admitted the items in the tool bag were his and admitted that he had methamphetamine on his person. On June 12, 2020, Martinez pleaded guilty to firearm and drug trafficking offenses.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

Source: DOJ