A Philadelphia man today admitted trying to deliver 1.7 kilograms of pure methamphetamine in Elizabeth, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Aaron Vega-Castelo, 28, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Dec. 11, 2013, Vega-Castelo was stopped while driving a blue Jeep on the New Jersey Turnpike in Elizabeth. Law enforcement found four plastic food storage-style containers of methamphetamine hydrochloride and two shoeboxes containing approximately $110,000 in cash in the back seat area of his vehicle.
Vega-Castelo admitted that at the time he was stopped by law enforcement, he was on his way to deliver the drugs and cash to other individuals near an Ikea in Elizabeth.
DEA testing of the seized methamphetamine revealed that it had a net weight of 1.79 kilograms and substance purity of 95.1 percent, which results in 1.7 kilograms of pure methamphetamine hydrochloride.
The charged offense carries a minimum penalty of ten years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2015.