A Filipino national has been charged with four (4) drug-related charges. The charges include two (2) counts of Trafficking A Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine and two (2) counts of Possession of Less Than One Gram Of A Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine.
The charges stemmed from two separate incidents, one in January of 2021 and another in February of 2021, where Mr. Rex Marco Fernando was witnessed by a police officer selling items to a Confidential Informant. On both occasions, items obtained by the informant were tested positive for methamphetamine.
According to a police affidavit, after the second incident where Mr. Fernando was observed selling stuff to Confidential Informant, he was apprehended by the police where they found unmarked bills used by CI and a straw filled with a crystalline substance. The report stated that he was read his rights which he waived and made a statement to the police.
In his statement, he allegedly said that he had been smoking meth on and off since 2019 but just this year started selling to send money to his family back home. He also said that he purchased from Sylverio Rengulbai and in turn sold to others.
Punishment for Trafficking Controlled Substance carries a jail sentence of not less than twenty-five (25) years and not more than fifty (50) years and a fine of not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and not more than a million dollars. ($1,000,000). Possession of Less Than One Gram of A Controlled Substance is a jail sentence of not less than five years and not less than 10,000 dollars.