A convicted felon allegedly caught with almost 50 pounds of methamphetamine and several firearms in his Moreno Valley home was charged Friday with possession of controlled substances for sale and other offenses.
Alfredo Vallejo Pimienta, 55, was arrested Wednesday following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
Along with the possession count, Pimienta is charged with importation of drugs for sale, three counts of being a felon in possession of a loaded firearm and sentence-enhancing allegations of possessing in excess of 20 kilograms of narcotics.
He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Friday before Superior Court Judge Gary Polk, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Oct. 29 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Pimienta is being held on $100,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Leondre Radford, the defendant had been under surveillance as part of a “long-term investigation” into drug trafficking, based on which deputies were able to obtain a search warrant for Pimienta’s apartment in the 23200 block of Hemlock Avenue.
It was served on him Wednesday morning, and a search of the property resulted “in the seizure of 49 pounds of packaged methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $58,000.”
“Deputies also recovered an assault rifle and two semiautomatic handguns, highlighting the potential dangers associated with this illegal activity,” the sergeant said.
Pimienta was taken into custody without incident.
It was unclear whether the investigation was focused on any other suspects.
Court records show the defendant has a prior felony conviction in another jurisdiction, but the offense wasn’t listed.