H.B. man sentenced to federal prison after 526-pound marijuana bust; F.V. man pleads guilty

A Huntington Beach man was sentenced to federal prison after being pulled over in Nebraska with more than 500 pounds of marijuana in a rental truck, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

The U.S. attorney’s office said Felice Michael Giorgetti, 39, was sentenced last week to 37 months after pleading guilty in November to charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

In January 2018, Giorgetti was driving a rental truck in Seward County, Neb., when he was pulled over by a state patrol officer over alleged traffic and equipment violations. When questioned, he and his passenger gave conflicting stories about the reason for their travel, and Giorgetti denied consent to a search of the vehicle, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

The truck was searched after a patrol dog alerted the officer to the presence of drugs, the U.S. attorney’s office said. The officer found 17 boxes containing a total of 526 pounds of marijuana, the office said.

The haul had an estimated street value of $1.5 million, the Associated Press reported.

Giorgetti’s passenger and co-defendant, Robert Patrick Rahon of Fountain Valley, also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and is scheduled for sentencing April 4, according to court documents.