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.
“For several years, Castillo-Pedraza profited by selling methamphetamine, a highly addictive and dangerous drug that’s plagued communities nationwide, including Reading,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Putting him out of business can’t make up for the damage he and his drugs have done, but it does make the city safer. Working together, my office, the FBI, and our Berks County partners will continue to target these traffickers for prosecution, to get them and the poison they’re pushing off our streets.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Berks County Detectives as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Assistant United States Attorney Justin Ashenfelter prosecuted the case, highlighting the collaborative effort between federal and local authorities to combat drug trafficking in the region.
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