FRESNO - Rafael Delatorre, 33, of Fresno, California, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to using a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced. 

According to court documents, on April 15, 2016, Delatorre used a cellular telephone to communicate with a local drug dealer and an out-of-town drug courier to coordinate the transfer of more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys Melanie L. Alsworth and Kimberly Sanchez are prosecuting the case.

Delatorre is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Dale A. Drozd on January 22, 2019. Delatorre faces a maximum statutory penalty of 4 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.