RWC Man Sentenced To 15 Years For Trafficking Drugs, Weapons

SAN FRANCISCO – A Redwood City man was sentenced by a federal court judge Wednesday to 15 years in prison for trafficking drugs and firearms, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Ismael “Playboy” Garcia, 35, pleaded guilty in January to trafficking methamphetamine, dealing in firearms without a license, and being a felon in possession of firearms among other charges officials said.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg.

Garcia admitted that between June and August of 2019 he was a member of a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, officials said.

His role in the conspiracy included arranging three one-pound methamphetamine transactions that took place on June 19, July 24, and August 20, 2019, officials said. In each instance, Garcia worked with his co-conspirator to obtain the methamphetamine, which Garcia sold to an undercover law enforcement agent.

Garcia also admitted to selling a fully-automatic machine gun pistol and a 30-round magazine to the same undercover agent June 13, 2019, officials said. During additional transactions in June of 2019, Garcia sold the undercover agent more illegal guns. Garcia was a convicted felon and did not have a license to sell firearms.

A federal grand jury indicted Garcia on November 12, 2019, charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, three counts distribution of fifty grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of one count of dealing in firearms without a license one count of possession and transfer of a machine gun, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Garcia pleaded guilty to all charges.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Seeborg also ordered Garcia to serve a five-year period of supervised release. He will begin serving the sentence immediately, officials said.

The case is being prosecuted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.

The investigation of this case was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force.

This investigation and prosecution is part of OCDETF, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.