Mario Moreno was sentenced to 50 years in prison at the Colorado Department of Corrections yesterday after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Distribute a Controlled Substance Schedule I/II (DF1) and Human Trafficking of a Minor for Sexual Servitude (F2). He was indicted along with two other defendants in January 2023 for distributing drugs to minors in exchange for sexual favors.
Moreno was indicted for 59 total charges, including the sale of drugs and sex crimes with minors. Moreno along with co-defendants Angelo Torres and Aldair Garcia Rodriguez sold cocaine, MDMA, marijuana, and marijuana concentrate to students at multiple public schools within the St. Vrain Valley School District.
In February 2024, Garcia-Rodriguez was sentenced to 35 years in the DOC after pleading guilty to Human Trafficking of a Minor for Sexual Servitude (F2) and Distribution of a Controlled Substance to a Minor Schedule I/II (DF1). Torres is set for trial on September 23 for his alleged role in the sexual exploitation of minors and drug sales.
“This sentence reflects the serious harm caused by Mario Moreno and those who exploit vulnerable youth,” said Josh Townsend, Longmont Police Sergeant of the Special Investigations Unit. “We’re proud of the dedicated work by our officers, detectives, and partners in the DAs Office who brought this case to justice. The Longmont Police Department remains fully committed to protecting our community and will continue to aggressively pursue those who traffic drugs, engage in human trafficking, and prey on minors.”
Last month, the Longmont Leader reported about a similar case in which a Longmont man was sentenced to 97 years in prison. Angel Gomez Rubio pled guilty to 21 charges, including 10 counts of Trafficking for Sexual Servitude. He and his co-defendants targeted girls ages 12 to 15. They provided psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, marijuana and vapes in exchange for sexual favors from the minor-aged girls.
Fernando Pacheco, the co-defendant in that case pleaded guilty on April 10 to one count of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude as part of a plea deal. He is being held on $100,000 bond and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 5.
