Drug Dealer Convicted After 21 Years as Fugitive
A mariachi singer who eluded federal authorities for nearly 21 years and went on to become a successful entertainer in Mexico was convicted Friday of six counts of selling and transporting heroin and cocaine. Jose Sandoval was found guilty on charges he sold, concealed and transported more than a kilogram of heroin and 23 grams of cocaine.
He faces a maximum sentence of five to 20 years in federal prison on each count and $120,000 in fines. Violators of federal drug statutes are no longer entitled to parole, but since Sandoval was tried under 1970 federal laws, he could be paroled after serving only 10 years, Assistant U.S. Atty. Jeffrey Johnson said.
Sandoval made the drug deals in East Los Angeles with undercover agents from the federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs on Sept. 10, 1970, Johnson said.
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