Reseda man pleads guilty to federal charges of selling meth, dozens of "ghost guns"
A Reseda man pleaded guilty to federal charges of selling narcotics and nearly 90 firearms on Friday.
According to a statement from the United States Attorneys' Office, Julio Ernesto Lopez-Menendez, 27, who is also known as Iroe, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license.
He was charged with selling nearly 17 pounds of meth and 89 firearms, 53 of which are said to be "ghost guns."
Lopez-Menendez was arrested in April 2022 and remained in federal custody until Friday's court date.
The U.S. Attorney's Office referenced a plea agreement that detailed how "Lopez-Menendez engaged in transactions in which large numbers of firearms and pound quantities of methamphetamine were sold," from Jan. 2022 to Apr. 2022.
"Ghost guns are often assembled from parts purchased separately or in a kit. Because the separate parts do not bear serial numbers, the assembled ghost guns do not bear serial numbers, and they cannot be registered or traced," the statement said.
Recalling one deal, made in Jan. 2022, Lopez-Menendez is said to have sold a buyer a dozen firearms, which included 10 "ghost gun" pistols. The suspect then sold the same buyer a pound of meth and 14 more firearms, nine of which were considered "ghost guns."
Lopez-Menendez then made two final drug deals to the buyer, selling more than nine pounds of meth on March 8 and nearly five pounds on March 23.
"At no time did Lopez-Menendez have a federal firearms license, nor did he have any firearms registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, the central registry for all items regulated under the National Firearms Act," the statement said.
Lopez-Menendez faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison at a scheduled sentencing hearing on May 26.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Los Angeles Police Department all assisted in the investigation.
