Man Gets 16 Years for 20-Pound Sale of Methamphetamine

A Van Nuys man was sentenced Monday to almost 16 years in prison for selling nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover federal agents, officials said.

Humberto Estrada Bombella, 33, was convicted in September of conspiracy and possession with intent to sell the drug, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Anthony Pachecho.

Bombella was also convicted on a weapons count because a loaded handgun was found on the floor of his car during the arrest, Pachecho said.

U.S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian sentenced Bombella to 188 months in federal prison and five years supervised release, Pachecho said. Bombella’s co-conspirator Jose Sigala faces a possible life prison term when he is sentenced on April 8, he said.

Another alleged co-conspirator, Sergio Valencia, was acquitted of the same crime, Pachecho said.

The case stems from a March 28, 1995, arrest at a Burbank restaurant where U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested five alleged members of a San Fernando-based narcotics ring, officials said.

Noel Quintero and Juan Ceron pleaded guilty last year to charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, officials said.

The five men were arrested after they delivered 7,792 grams of “speed” to the undercover agents. The drugs were hidden in a truck with a concealed compartment, Pachecho said.

The drugs had a street value of $1.4 million to $2.8 million, Pachecho said.