Barraza Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Heroin and Carrying a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

 Plea Agreement Calls for an Agreed upon Sentence of 150 Months of Imprisonment

ST. GEORGE, UTAH – Richard Dimitri Barraza, 24, of St. George, Utah, has agreed to serve 150 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the plea agreement, Barraza admitted to possessing approximately 160 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin, along with a 9mm pistol that he used to further his heroin trafficking enterprise. Because Barraza was on supervised release for a 2017 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, this plea also resolves the outstanding supervised release violation pending against him.

“Southwest Utah needs federal law enforcement because of cases like this one,” said United States Attorney John W. Huber. “We are committed to focusing on dangerous offenders who drag down our quality of life through reckless decisions.”

Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Utah U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. Agents from the Washington County Drug Task Force, Officers from the St. George Police Department, and Special Agents from the DEA conducted the investigation.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office coordinated the prosecution with the Washington County Attorney’s Office.