Gerardo Pineda
Gerardo Pineda, was sentenced to 10 years on Monday in Federal Court after being convicted of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. He was previously convicted in 2007 in Florida for trafficking drugs.
On Nov.
19, 2013, Pineda was found with 10.6 grams of methamphetamine in a car he was in. The drugs were tested and found to be 97.7 percent pure, which agents said ruled out the possibility of personal use.
Cleveland Police officers responded to a call about a potential fugitive from Sevierville who was with a man at a chiropractor’s office on Mouse Creek Road. When they arrived, they found the defendant sitting alone in a car that matched the description they had been given.
When asked for his ID, Pineda supplied a Tennessee driver’s license which the officer said he thought was fake and had a different name. The officer told Pineda he thought it was fake at which point he was handed a Florida Correctional Facility ID card, which said he was Gerardo Pineda.
The woman he was with, Samantha Burd, was inside the office and also gave a false name when questioned.
A canine unit was also called to the scene and officers stated that the dog gave a positive signal on the driver’s side door. Upon investigation, the 10.6 grams of meth were found inside and Pineda was taken into custody.
In an interview conducted by a special agent the following day, Pineda admitted that he had been traveling to Atlanta every month for the past five months to purchase meth for resale.
He said that he had brought approximately two pounds to sell in Cleveland.