Jurupa Valley man found with meth during traffic stop gets year in jail

A Jurupa Valley man found with more than a pound of methamphetamine during a routine traffic stop pleaded guilty today to a felony drug charge and was immediately sentenced to one year in county jail.

Ismael Huerta, 45, was originally charged last month with one count each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and import or distribution of a controlled substance into the state. Under the plea agreement, the possession charge was dropped and one year of a two-year sentence in county jail was suspended, according to court records. Huerta was also given credit for 64 days of time served

Huerta was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by Palm Springs police for an equipment violation around 11 p.m. on April 13. During the stop, officers conducted a probation compliance check on the driver, during which they searched the inside of the vehicle and found a pound and a half of meth on the passenger’s side, according to Palm Springs police.

Both Huerta and the motorist were detained, but the driver was later released.