Driver pleads in cocaine-for-drugs sting

Document text

A man who drove cocaine from California to undercover federal agents in the Medford area has admitted to his involvement in a ring that sought highly restricted firearms in exchange for dealer quantities of drugs. Rodolfo Quevedo pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Medford to a felony drug conspiracy charge, admitting he conspired with a Fresno-based ringleader and a co-defendant based in Southern Oregon in a sting operation to deliver at least half a kilogram of cocaine in exchange for firearms. Quevedo admitted he delivered roughly one and a half kilograms of cocaine to undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents between July and August 2017. The drugs were exchanged for $21,000 and guns that included two Beretta 92FS Parabellum pistols equipped with silencers and a fully automatic Glock Model 18 machine pistol, according to earlier news reports. The two silencers involved had no manufacturer or serial information, court documents say. The ringleader, Gonzalo Manzo Jr., pleaded guilty last week. Manzo admitted he was “the ultimate decision maker” behind the deal. Federal prosecutors say they’ll recommend a sentence of 30 months in prison for Quevedo. They’re seeking a 15-year, eight-month sentence for Manzo. Court records show that Quevedo has been allowed to be released but must wear a GPS tracking device. A third co-suspect, Jonathan Alan Ochoa of Medford, still has a pending charge of conspiring to distribute cocaine in the case.