Jefferson City man pleads guilty in federal court to cocaine conspiracy in Columbia
A Jefferson City man pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to a conspiracy to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine.
Mario Alberto De La Cruz, 43, admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Columbia and other locations from Aug. 2 to Nov. 10 of 2015. According to the official press release, De La Cruz also admitted that he engaged in several controlled transactions in which he sold cocaine to a confidential law enforcement informant in 2015.
On Aug. 28, 2015, the confidential informant contacted De La Cruz and arranged to purchase two ounces of cocaine. De La Cruz met the confidential informant and exchanged 56 grams of cocaine for the cash.
De La Cruz could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison without parole.
