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In a dramatic case of deception and theft, three men from Texas posed as agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to steal over 200 pounds of marijuana from a rural home in Josephine County, Oregon. The incident occurred on March 12, 2022, when the men, dressed in DEA attire and body armor, restrained the occupants of the home with zip ties and duct tape before making off with the marijuana.
Nevin Cuevas Morales, Michael Rey Acuna, and Juan Carlos Conchas, all 23 years old, traveled from San Antonio to Oregon with the intent to commit the robbery. Deputies from the Josephine County Sheriff's Office found two empty vehicles with Texas license plates at the scene, along with firearms, ammunition, and badges resembling those used by DEA agents.
The men were indicted on September 1, 2022, and arrested in San Antonio in October of the same year. Morales was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison, while Acuna received a 64-month sentence. Both will also serve several years of supervised release. Conchas pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. He faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on July 17.