SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Two California men were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday after police found them with 15 pounds of Mexican methamphetamine earlier this month.
Oscar Soto-Covarrubias, Sr., 73, of San Diego, Calif., and Oscar Soto Jr., 26, of Fontana, Calif., have both been charged with possession with intent to distribute, and they are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
The pair were stopped by Utah Highway Patrol officers on Oct. 7 for driving with an expired registration, according to U.S. Attorney Trina Higgins. A K9 officer allegedly alerted police to the presence of narcotics. After searching the vehicle, police found 15 pounds of meth in a backpack. Law enforcement agencies believe the pair to be distributors of Mexican and California meth to Utah drug dealers.
The case is part of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Unified Police Department Metro Gang Unit with assistance for the Utah Highway Patrol.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
