A truck driver was sentenced Monday to 3.8 years in federal prison for hauling more than 44 pounds of cocaine to Kansas, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Erick Omar Rios, 37, San Ysidro, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In his plea, he admitted he was operating a tractor pulling a refrigerated trailer when he was stopped by the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Troopers found 10 vacuum wrapped packages containing 44 pounds of cocaine hidden in a cooling unit on the trailer. They learned Rios had picked up the load in Los Angeles to deliver to Plainfield, Ind. He was expecting to be paid $4,000 when he returned to Los Angeles.
Beall commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs for their work on the case.