Salem man sentenced to prison after trooper finds 33 pounds of meth in car

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Salem man was sentenced to federal prison for a drug trafficking charge on Wednesday after he was found with more than 33 pounds of meth along Interstate 5 in 2019, according to the Oregon Department of Justice.

Authorities say 51-year-old David Contreras, who authorities say is also known as Jorge Castillo-Gomez, was sentenced to 12 years in prison with five years’ supervised release.

Court documents say on April 9, 2019, Contreras and an accomplice were driving north on I-5 near Central Point, Oregon when they were pulled over by an Oregon State Police trooper for speeding.

The trooper reported seeing a cardboard box inside the vehicle with a package containing what looked like meth. The trooper also discovered the accomplice, who was driving, had a suspended driver’s license and Contreras did not have a license.

An OSP narcotics canine alerted troopers to the vehicle – leading authorities to find the 33 pounds of meth and that the driver had a concealed gun. Officials said Contreras had more than $3,000 on him along with $6,000 in cash in a backpack.

The accomplice told police he reported to Contreras, who gave troopers a fake name and fake identification documents, officials said.

On May 1, 2019, Contreras and his accomplice were charged by a federal grand jury in Medford for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Contreras later pleaded guilty on November 8, 2021.