A Fort Worth businessman's sentence for dealing meth shows how even those with minor criminal histories can end up in prison for life.
All it took was three street sales to an undercover officer to put Juan Montelongo in prison for life without paroleMaria Montelongo and Josephine Montelongo Raza, hold a photo of their brother, Juan Montelongo, on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in Fort Worth. Juan Montelongo is currently serving life in prison for selling small amounts of meth to an undercover cop.Juan Montelongo was not a Mexican drug lord. He never ordered a hit to take out a rival drug dealer.
Montelongo’s businesses had all failed by this point. He was working as a general manager at a car wash. His car had been repossessed, and he was behind on his rent. He agreed. Soon, the man was asking for as much as a pound of meth — more than Montelongo had ever handled. Montelongo was nervous and unsure, but he agreed. Montelongo, however, could only procure half a pound, which he sold to the man in February 2012.That’s when the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested him. Ultimately, federal agents caught him with a grand total of about 10 ounces of meth after three sales. That much wouldn’t fill a soda can.
“It’s the consequence of overreliance on drug quantity,” said Ronald Weich, dean of Seton Hall University’s law school. “It lets the agents drive the sentence by purchasing more drugs.”Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith urged jurors to reject the defense’s entrapment theory. The officer gave Montelongo an opportunity to sell drugs, he said, and he took it.
Also counting against him was the fact that his supplier had a gun and his 14-year-old daughter was allegedly involved in preparing their drugs for sale, court records show. “So there’s a difference between false testimony and disputed testimony,” White said. “This enhancement is also not there just to punish someone for exercising their constitutional right to a trial.”Dallas defense lawyer Derek Staub said defendants who opt to take the witness stand in their own defense are taking a risk. It’s often unclear whether perjury actually took place, he said. But if someone is convicted at trial, “You’re assuming they lied.
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