Dominic Miguel Rivera, a 40-year-old resident of Plano, Texas, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for first-degree felony Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine, announced Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. The sentencing followed a jury finding Rivera guilty in a recent trial.
Richardson Police Department officers, Nicholas Ward and Maurice Johnson, conducted a routine traffic stop on November 15, 2022, where Rivera was a passenger. During the stop, officers discovered a loaded handgun concealed in Rivera's jacket and a backpack tightly tucked between his legs. Rivera initially provided false identification but was later identified through his driver’s license, revealing a criminal history of multiple felony convictions.
A subsequent search led by Officer Benjamin Masters uncovered a loaded magazine for the handgun, an electronic scale, multiple empty baggies, a pill bottle containing marijuana prepared for distribution, and a glass container with 22.61 grams of methamphetamine. Narcotics Detective Joe Arp testified that the quantity of methamphetamine indicated intent to distribute rather than personal use, with enough for over 100 separate doses.
Rivera's criminal history included four drug charges in Collin County on February 23, 2012, resulting in maximum sentences for possession and intent to deliver cocaine. In 2019, he received probation for second-degree felony possession of methamphetamine in Dallas County, but violated it within a month, leading to a three-year prison sentence.
Considering Rivera's extensive criminal record, which comprised seven felony convictions, Judge Benjamin Smith sentenced him to 40 years in prison.
District Attorney Willis emphasized Collin County's commitment to zero tolerance for career drug dealers.
Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Jamin Daly and Wendy Correa prosecuted the case, supported by District Attorney Investigators Sarah Putman, Jennifer Gomez, and Michael Bennett, along with Legal Secretary Jaimie Valliere.
