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Courtesy PhotoImage
Isidro Ortiz, Jr.
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Isidro Ortiz, Jr. of North Platte was indicted Thursday on three federal drugs and weapons charges. Prosecutors said Ortiz, 33, twice possessed more than five grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute -- once on Nov. 2 and another time between Oct. 1 and Nov. 25. A federal grand jury issued the indictments, U.S. Attorney Deb Gilg said. Count III alleges that on or about Nov. 19 Ortiz, a felon, had three firearms -- a model 1400, 12-gauge Winchester shotgun, a Smith and Wesson SW40VE .40 caliber pistol and a Jimenez Arms J.A. NINE, 9mm pistol. Ortiz was arrested in North Platte during a traffic stop for failure to signal a lane change. A search of the car turned up the two handguns and the shotgun. Ortiz, who was a passenger, was already wanted on a warrant for terroristic threats, after his intimate partner told police a week earlier that Ortiz pointed a gun at him. Ortiz faces a maximum of 90 years imprisonment if convicted on all three charges. The grand jury indictment also alleges any and all property constituting or derived from direct or indirect proceeds as a result of the accusations should be forfeited to the government. The forfeitures specifically include $2,000 in U.S. currency seized on Nov. 19 from the purse of Angel Benitez and $770 in United States currency seized from Benitez on Nov. 1, Gilg said.
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