A 26-year-old Manteca man was sentenced to over 8 years in prison for possession of ecstasy (MDMA) with intent to distribute the drug.

The sentence was handed down Friday by U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr .

United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert Said Catalin Kifan, of Manteca,  pled guilty back Aug. 26 after accepting a plea agreement. Federal agents searched his Manteca residence last April and found a variety of drugs including 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, 608 grams of MDMA and lesser amounts of marijuana, bath salts, steroids, methamphetamine, adrenaline, and prescription pills.

Co-defendant Jason Matecki, 42, pled guilty on April 8, 2016, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, in U.S. District Court. 

In March and April of 2015 law enforcement agents seized two packages of MDMA destined for the Manteca residence as well as one package of MDMA sent to his co-defendant’s residence in Las Vegas, Nev.  A search of the Las Vegas residence resulted in additional quantities of drugs being found, including MDMA and steroids.

The case was the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) the Southern Nevada Heroin Task Force and the Manteca Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Khasigian prosecuted the case.

The investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force that was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.