Department of Justice

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Francelino Mario Alves, 51, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on June 13, 2017, Alves sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. On July 12, 2017, Alves sold another pound of methamphetamine to the undercover officer.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.

Alves is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 7, 2023. Alves faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.