Jacksonville, FL – A DeLand man faces up to 120 years in federal prison after authorities found him with 3 kilograms of cocaine during a traffic stop.
A federal jury found Alejandro Estrada Aplesa guilty of 3 drug-related counts and he faces up to 40 years in prison per count, according to a press release sent on Friday by the United States Department of Justice.
Aplesa – who was found guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine – will be sentenced at a later date.
Prosecutors say it all stems from a traffic stop last August 24th where Aplesa was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 95 in St. Johns County.
According to the USDOJ, a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit found a trip of 1-kilogram cocaine bundles hidden under the driver’s seat during a search of the vehicle.
Aplesa and a passenger in the vehicle initially denied that there were drugs in the car, but Aplesa testified at trial that he was simply running an errand and had no idea that there was cocaine in the car until he discovered it minutes before he was pulled over by deputies.
Aplesa also claimed that he was on his way to confront the man who he thought put the cocaine in the vehicle before he was pulled over.
The 27-year-old was charged by a superseding indictment on December 16th.
The sentencing date hasn’t been set at this time.
Alejandro Estrada Aplesa (mugshot courtesy St. Johns County Jail)
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