Fresno, California - Nancy Lopez Perez, 44, of Lemoore, pleaded guilty today to distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Perez obtained and delivered methamphetamine and two assault rifles during an undercover transaction on the side of the road in rural Fresno County. Three additional firearms were seized from Perez’s residence during a follow-up search. As a convicted felon, Perez was prohibited from possessing firearms.

This case is the product of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Kings County Narcotic Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case. The mission of the OCDETF Program is to reduce the supply of illegal drugs in the United States and diminish the violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. To accomplish this mission, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its federal law enforcement agency members, including the FBI and ATF.

Perez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill on February 4, 2019. Perez faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.