A San Fernando man whose home was raided by deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Bureau pleaded no contest Thursday to a felony count of drug possession.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged 31-year-old Juan Chaidez with three counts related to a narcotics bust, the results of which were shared in a photograph the SCV Sheriff’s Station posted on social media.
Station officials indicated in the post that the man was known to deputies as someone who sold narcotics in the SCV.
He was scheduled to set a date for his preliminary hearing last week when he entered the plea.
Chaidez pleaded no contest to a felony count of possession for sale of a controlled substance, according to Thursday’s minute order for Department H in San Fernando.
As a result of his plea deal, two additional charges, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a hard drug by a felon, are being dismissed.
His previous felony charges involved drug possession and weapons, based on the criminal complaint.
As a result of his plea, he’s expected to surrender for a sentencing hearing next month, according to court records.
The investigation into Chaidez began with information from a confidential informant that narcotics were being sold out of Chaidez’s residence in San Fernando, according to a sworn statement from a Narcotics Bureau detective.
Deputies conducted surveillance of the home and eventually conducted a traffic stop in which they seized four bags of cocaine and approximately $2,500 in cash.
Detectives later used evidence from the car search to obtain a warrant for the home, according to court records. The search of his home yielded the semiautomatic handgun that Chaidez was initially charged with, as well as ammunition, narcotics, a cutting agent and four scales.
Chaidez is currently free on $100,000 bail.
His offense carries a maximum range of up to four years in a county custodial facility, according to the complaint.
“We remain committed to identifying and holding accountable individuals involved in narcotics-related activity impacting the Santa Clarita Valley community,” read that station’s Facebook post.
