A Kissimmee man could face life in prison after trying to make a drug deal Homeland Security agents.
Jacob Luis Bonilla-Rivera, 27, of Kissimmee, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug conspiracy.
He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, beginning on Sept. 11, 2020, Bonilla-Rivera engaged in a series of phone calls with individuals who he believed to be cocaine dealers but who were, in fact, undercover agents working on behalf of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The discussions culminated in an agreement for Bonilla-Rivera to purchase 20 kilograms of cocaine in Orlando. On Sept. 16, HSI agents met with Bonilla-Rivera and a conspirator, Juan Omar Rodriguez, Jr. They showed the agents $600,000 in cash that they had transported in a hidden compartment in one of their vehicles. The agents then brought Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez to the 20 kilograms of cocaine they had arranged to purchase. After inspecting the cocaine, Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez returned to their car to retrieve the cash from the hidden compartment and were arrested. Upon searching both vehicles, agents discovered that both Bonilla-Rivera and Rodriguez had loaded firearms, along with a total of $639,325 in cash.
Juan Omar Rodriguez, Jr. is currently scheduled for trial in January.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
