Drug trafficker gets 10 years despite surgically replaced fingertips to avoid getting caught

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A man who had his fingertips surgically removed to avoid identification has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of drug trafficking.
Jesus Jimenez-Mejia, 29, of Mexico already was in custody on immigration charges in May when authorities launched a series of raids in the Yakima area that resulted in more than 30 arrests on drug and immigration charges.
Prosecutors called it one of the largest methamphetamine operations ever busted in central Washington and named Jimenez-Mejia as the mastermind.
In September, Jimenez-Mejia pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In exchange, a money laundering charge was dismissed.
U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle sentenced Jimenez-Mejia to 10 years on Wednesday.
Federal prosecutors said Jimenez-Mejia was deported to Mexico from El Paso, Texas, in 1996 and illegally returned to the United States after having his fingertips surgically altered to make a fingerprint comparison impossible.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bud Ellis said Jimenez-Mejia had his fingertips replaced with fingertips from another human being. He said authorities do not know where the replacement fingertips came from.
Jimenez-Mejia will be deported after he gets out of prison.



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