Salem Drug Trafficker Will Spend 12 Years In Federal Prison
Salem, Ore. — A Salem, Oregon man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison after he was caught transporting dozens of pounds of methamphetamine. David Contreras, also known as Jorge Castillo-Gomez, 51, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release on Tuesday, March 29, 2023.
According to court documents, Contreras and an accomplice were pulled over by an Oregon State Police trooper on April 9, 2019, for speeding while traveling north on Interstate 5 near Central Point, Oregon. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he saw a cardboard box containing a clear package that appeared to be methamphetamine. When he processed the traffic violation, the trooper discovered that the driver had a suspended Oregon driver’s license and that Contreras, a passenger, did not have a license.
After a narcotics canine alerted on the vehicle, troopers conducted a search and found over 33 pounds of methamphetamine in the cardboard box. They also discovered a firearm concealed on the driver’s person, more than $3,000 in cash on Contreras, and an additional $6,000 in cash in a backpack. When questioned, the driver reported to Contreras, who provided the troopers with false identification documents.
On May 1, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Contreras and his accomplice with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On November 8, 2021, Contreras pleaded guilty to the single charge.
The Oregon State Police, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco A. Boccato prosecuted the case for the District of Oregon.
