Texas Duo Sentenced to Nearly 17 Years for Posing as DEA Agents in Armed Robbery in Southern Oregon
Two 23-year-old men from Texas were sentenced to a total of 199 months in federal prison for disguising themselves as agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and conspiring to commit an armed robbery in Southern Oregon.
A news release from the Oregon U.S. Attorney’s Office says Nevin Cuevas Morales was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison and five years supervised release, while Michael Rey Acuna was sentenced to 5 years and four months in federal prison and four years supervised release.
The amount of restitution payable to victims will be decided at a later date.
Third Man Faces $5 Million Fine and 40 Years in Prison
Another 23-year-old, Juan Carlos Conchas, is facing a $5 million fine, a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, and four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery, and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. Conchas will be sentenced on 17 July in the Jackson County Circuit Court in Medford.
Their sentencing relates to an armed robbery on 12 March 2022, when deputies from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a crime in progress at a rural address.
When deputies arrived at a residence, they found a closed driveway gate and two empty vehicles with open doors. The vehicles had Texas license plates.
Deputies spotted several people running away at the back of the property. They then found victims, restrained with zip ties and duct tape, inside the house.
The victims told deputies that their assailants were dressed as DEA agents and wore body armor.
An investigation revealed that a group of men traveled from Texas to Southern Oregon in late February 2022 with a plan to steal over 200 pounds of marijuana.
On 6 October 2022, Morales and Acuna were arrested in San Antonio, and Conchas was arrested one week later, also in San Antonio.
Three other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to felony charges for their roles in the conspiracy. Two have received prison sentences while a third individual is awaiting sentencing.