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BEAUMONT, Texas – A Nederland, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms and drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei today.

Esdras Homero Pedroza, 27, pleaded guilty on January 6, 2021, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Today, he was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that this sort of criminal conduct—possession of drugs with an intent to distribute, and having a gun to facilitate the distribution—will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Texas,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

According to information presented in court, on August 7, 2020, Jefferson County Narcotics Task Force officers stopped Pedroza’s pickup truck after a brief pursuit on Highway 69 South in Port Arthur. After a drug detection dog alerted on the truck, the officers searched the vehicle. They found 336 grams of methamphetamine; a digital scale; $1,259 cash; and an AR-15 rifle.  Pedroza was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 4, 2020 and charged with firearms and drug trafficking violations.

This case was investigated by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.