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DA: Western Slope meth dealer gets 14 years

Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Vail, CO Colorado

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado ” A methamphetamine dealer received a 14-year prison sentence Friday.

Ninth Judicial District Judge Denise Lynch sentenced Jose Perez Preciado, also known as “Meye,” for his high-level role in a meth drug trafficking ring, according to District Attorney Martin Beeson.

The drug ring had interstate connections and operatives and dealt meth in both Garfield and Mesa counties. A court-authorized wiretap investigation, confidential sources and surveillance revealed the identities of high-level players, Beeson wrote in a statement.



At the time of the arrests of some of the key individuals in May, authorities said the drug ring sold meth in quantities ranging from ounces, priced at $800, to pounds, at $12,500. About four pounds of meth were seized plus five ounces of cocaine and a small amount of crack cocaine, authorities said.

In Mesa County District Court, Jose Manuel Orepeza Padilla and Gerardo Salcedo Gil were previously sentenced to 8 and 11 years in prison for their roles in the drug trafficking ring. Juan Carlos Gil will be sentenced in Mesa County on March 19. He faces a mandatory prison sentence of 8 to 20 years. Another player is in custody in Pennsylvania facing federal drug charges, according to Beeson.

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Beeson was pleased both with the sentence and the cooperative efforts of the law enforcement agencies involved in the underlying investigation.

“These cases illustrate the good that can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies band together to rid our communities of the twin scourges of methamphetamine and drug dealers,” his statement reads.

Beeson wrote, “Although this represents but one victory in the never ending war on drugs, it gives us hope, and hope delivers us from the despair that nothing we do matters. These cases demonstrate that what we do indeed matters. It makes a difference in our continuing struggle to protect our children and our communities from the highly addictive and destructive forces of drugs and drug dealers.”

The Two Rivers Drug Enforcement Team, Western Colorado Drug Task Force, federal Drug Enforcement Administration, plus District Attorney’s Offices the 9th and 21st districts all contributed to the investigation.


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