Federal Jury Finds Shakopee Man Guilty of Methamphetamine Trafficking

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A federal jury found a Shakopee man guilty of possession and distribution of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a three-day trial before Judge Donovan W. Frank, Saul Rodriguez Pineda, 40, was convicted today on three counts of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement executed a series of controlled buys of methamphetamine from Rodriguez Pineda on three separate occasions between September and October 2022. On October 12, 2022, law enforcement searched the residence where Rodriguez Pineda was staying in Shakopee, Minnesota, and found 31 pounds of methamphetamine in Rodriguez Pineda's yard as well as a liquid methamphetamine conversion lab. Law enforcement also found numerous items related to drug trafficking inside the residence.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force, and the Shakopee Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allen A. Slaughter and Raphael B. Coburn tried the case.