PHILADELPHIA, PA — Diego Castillo-Pedraza, 35, of Reading, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking operation. The sentence was issued this week by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr., following Castillo-Pedraza’s conviction in September 2024.
The charges stemmed from a wiretap investigation and multiple evidence seizures. Authorities intercepted a package containing six pounds of pure methamphetamine shipped from California to a residence in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 2019. Further evidence was uncovered in March 2021 when Berks County Detectives recovered two pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a safe at the same location. Fingerprint analysis linked Castillo-Pedraza to the packaging materials, and subsequent investigations revealed his role in orchestrating the scheme.
Following a three-day trial, a jury found Castillo-Pedraza guilty of possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, as well as aiding and abetting. Testimony and evidence at trial revealed that Castillo-Pedraza directed at least two accomplices to assist in storing and distributing significant quantities of the drug…