Taney County Prosecuting Attorney, Jeffrey M. Merrell announced today that PEDRO FRANCISCO VELASQUEZ-MONTEZ, dob: 06/16/1980 of Meredi, Mexico was sentenced last week by Taney County Circuit Judge Mark Orr to six (6) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the offense of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

On April 28, 2008,  PEDRO FRANCISCO VELASQUEZ-MONTEZ, was apprehended by officers at the Taney County Motor Lodge during a narcotics operation. During the sting PEDRO FRANCISCO VELASQUEZ-MONTEZ had in his possession a plastic bag containing ten packages of a white powdery substance. That substance was later tested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime lab and determined to be cocaine, a scheduled controlled substance.

The class B felony of possession with the intent to distribute has a range of punishment of not less than five (5) years and not more than fifteen (15) years. Once the sentence is complete, PEDRO FRANCISCO VELASQUEZ-MONTEZ will be turned over to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).