Bay City News
A 49-year-old Lodi resident was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and for being a felon in possession of ammunition, federal prosecutors said.
Evidence shown against Marcello Marlo Rivera during trial showed that on May 11, 2022, he flushed methamphetamine down the toilet at his Lodi home while law enforcement agents attempted to execute a federal search warrant, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Agents said they had found large bags containing leftover methamphetamine shards and residue in Rivera’s room. Additionally, he was found in possession of a loaded high-capacity magazine containing 17 live rounds of ammunition.
Prosecutors said in a press release that Rivera couldn’t legally possess ammunition because he previously had been convicted of multiple felonies.
The case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer.