HOUSTON, Texas — A 39-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for selling firearms and kilogram quantities of crystal meth to an undercover agent, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Jorge Morales was sentenced to a total of 264 months — 22 years — in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Texas

A federal jury convicted Morales on January 16 following a four-day trial, on charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute, felon in possession of a firearm, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

At trial, the jury heard that Morales sold firearms and kilogram quantities of crystal meth to an undercover agent, and that he used his Instagram account to solicit and negotiate the sales of firearms and narcotics. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Bennett noted Morales' criminal history was a significant factor in determining the sentence.

The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Morales has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.

Source: Prison Law Firm, republishing the Justice Department announcement