Former fugitive, Santa Cruz Co. drug dealer sentenced to 19 years in prison
SANTA CRUZ – A former fugitive was sentenced to 235 months in prison on Monday for trafficking drugs in Santa Cruz County, prosecutors said.
Paul Garcia, 34, pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking in December 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Garcia, a former resident of Santa Cruz County, was arrested in July 2019 after sheriff's deputies seized a stash of drugs in a motel room he was using in Santa Cruz. According to authorities, the stash included more than two pounds of heroin, 440 grams of meth, cocaine, fentanyl, and pills. Deputies also found a loaded, semi-automatic pistol in the motel room.
Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2020 on one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine.
He made his initial appearance in federal court and was released on a $100,000 bond, but he violated the terms of his release. Garcia's bail was revoked and he was ordered to report to the Santa Rita Jail facility in June 2020.
However, Garcia failed to report and became a fugitive, forfeiting his bond. He remained in hiding until April 18, 2021, when Sunnyvale police officers saw him in the parking lot of a motel. Garcia tried to flee and fired two shots at the officers but was eventually taken into custody.
In his plea bargain, Garcia admitted that he possessed the meth, cocaine, and heroin stash found in his Santa Cruz motel room in 2019, with the intent to distribute them, and also that he owned the semi-automatic pistol found in his room.
According to federal court, Garcia's prison term is to be served concurrently with a 29-year jail sentence Garcia is currently serving. Besides his incarceration, he is also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after his release from prison.
