Man faces up to 15 years for drug trafficking

A 31-year-old California man caught with a quarter-pound of methamphetamine in a potato chip bag faces up to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to drug trafficking.

District Judge Michael Gibbons set sentencing for Jan. 25 for Francisco Reyes-Vizcarra of Pollock Pines.

He was arrested Nov. 10 by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Street Enforcement Team working with the Western El Dorado Narcotics Enforcement Team. The arrest followed a month-long investigation into the suspect's alleged drug trafficking activities.

Investigation into Reyes-Vizcarra's criminal history revealed that he has been deported four times for criminal activity.

He is ineligible for probation unless he provides substantial assistance to law enforcement into other drug trafficking cases.

In accepting Reyes-Vizcarra's guilty plea, Gibbons said each side was recommending he receive a maximum of 15 years.

"That's probably going to happen," Gibbons said.

Reyes-Vizcarra also could be fined up to $100,000.

Reyes-Vizcarra was arrested in the parking lot of a Stateline casino by the street enforcement teams and the Tri-Net Task Force with 116.5 grams of methamphetamine worth $11,000.

Investigators performed a number of surveillance operations, during which they reportedly observed Reyes-Vizcarra conduct several drug trafficking activities between Placerville and Stateline.

DCSET investigators placed a no-bail hold on Reyes-Vizcarra through federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.