Odessa man found guilty

MIDLAND A federal jury has convicted an Odessa man of conspiring to distribute cocaine. Ismael Acosta Juarez, 29, was found guilty at trial this week of three of four counts, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

He was acquitted, however, of gun charges that stemmed from a search of his residence in the 1400 block of Brittany Lane.

Juarez was busted in October after local narcotics agents arrested an Odessa man who bought cocaine from Juarez for five months. Genaro H. Rocha Jr., 27, later cooperated with federal investigators, provided a voluntary statement and eventually pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, court documents show.

His name also was included on a list of witnesses for the prosecution, court documents show.

The FBI, in court documents, said Rocha has distributed cocaine for years and also used it himself. He is to be sentenced March 3 in U.S. District Court in Midland.

Juarez is scheduled to be sentenced March 23.