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Heroin dealer gets 27 years
By Chris Bristol EUGENE — The reputed mastermind of a drug ring that distributed more than 36 pounds of heroin in the Rogue Valley was sentenced to 27 years in prison Wednesday. Mario Miranda Garcia, 39, was sentenced in federal court by U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken, who tacked on 12 years to the defendant’s base sentence of 15 years because he was the ringleader and because he used a juvenile in the enterprise. The base sentence was determined by the quantity of heroin distributed by the ring exceeded 10 kilograms, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hoar. "Actually the amount was more than 16 kilograms," Hoar said. "We use the metric system at the federal level, but the math works out to about 36½ pounds." Miranda Garcia was arrested in June 1997 as the reputed mastermind of a "distribution organization" based in Jackson and Josephine counties that smuggled and sold heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty in May 1999 to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. The plea came midway through a trial in U.S. District Court, after 12 witnesses testified they delivered drugs for him. In the aftermath, Miranda Garcia tried to withdraw his plea. He was assigned four different attorneys in the case, but the courts eventually tossed his claims. He asked for another continuance Wednesday as well as another new attorney. Aiken denied the request. Over the past six years, seven co-defendants have been convicted and sentenced in the case. Five were sent to federal prison, one case was handled in state court and another defendant was deported to Mexico. Aiken also ordered the forfeiture of a five-acre property in Selma that Miranda Garcia bought with drug money. Selma is a rural Josephine County community about 15 miles southwest of Grants Pass. Hoar said the defendant began filing motions in the case after he learned the government was going to recommend a sentence of 324 months, or 27 years. "He knew full well the substantial penalty in this case when he pleaded," Hoar said. "It appeared as though he was simply resisting the length of time he faced." As part of the sentence, Miranda Garcia must serve five years of post-prison supervision. However, Hoar said the defendant will be deported to his native Mexico upon release. |
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