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Man Traded Meth for 17 Guns; Had Ties with Los Angeles-Based Drug Supplier: Sentenced in Oregon

Man Traded Meth for 17 Guns; Had Ties with Los Angeles-Based Drug Supplier: Sentenced in Oregon

Portland, OR: A man from Lane County has been sentenced to federal prison after engaging in the exchange of methamphetamine for 17 firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Oregon.

Mark Villanueva, 38, has been given a sentence of 120 months in federal prison, along with five years of supervised release.

In August 2020, court documents revealed that special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had received information about Villanueva’s alleged involvement in the distribution of illegal narcotics, specifically methamphetamine, in and around Lane County. It was also reported that Villanueva was in possession of firearms, which is illegal due to his status as a convicted felon.

During October and November of 2020, Villanueva engaged in the sale of methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer on five different occasions. During the fifth transaction, Villanueva started talking about his interest in purchasing or selling ammunition and firearms.

In December 2020 and throughout January 2021, Villanueva engaged in negotiations to exchange several firearms for a significant amount of methamphetamine with a supplier based in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, on January 11, 2021, just as Villanueva was about to finish the transaction, he was apprehended in Florence, Oregon due to an unresolved state arrest warrant.

Despite the arrest, the guns-for-drugs trade proceeded as planned and was finalized on January 13, 2021, coinciding with Villanueva’s release from state custody. After being released from custody, Villanueva admitted to exchanging 17 firearms for three pounds of methamphetamine with his supplier in Los Angeles.

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On January 13, 2021, Villanueva faced charges for the distribution of methamphetamine according to a criminal complaint.

On May 20, 2021, a federal grand jury in Eugene handed down an indictment against Villanueva and three others. The charges include conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine, conspiracy to possess a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime.

On February 16, 2023, Villanueva admitted to conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it as reported by KVAL News.

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