Robert Godinez, 53, of Hayward, was sentenced to 13 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd for possessing methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute, as well as using a cellphone to facilitate drug trafficking offenses. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
According to court documents, law enforcement stopped Godinez on August 30, 2019, after he purchased methamphetamine and heroin from a dealer in Stockton. Officers found two pounds of methamphetamine and about half a pound of heroin during a search of his vehicle. During the prosecution, Godinez submitted false declarations to the district court and lied to his probation officer, which led to an obstruction of justice sentencing enhancement.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, San Joaquin County Probation Department, Stockton Police Department, and Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. According to the release: “The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.”
HSTF Sacramento includes agents from Homeland Security Investigations; Federal Bureau of Investigations; Drug Enforcement Administration; Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office; with prosecutions led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
