FRESNO -  A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Martin Cervantes, 26, of Corcoran, charging him with four counts of distributing narcotics and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, from October to December 2021, Cervantes mailed three packages each containing over 500 grams of fentanyl powder and one package containing over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine from post offices in Fresno. The packages were destined for addresses in the Midwest, but were intercepted. On January 6, 2022, Cervantes also possessed over 500 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

If convicted, Cervantes faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison up to a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.