ROCKY FORD, Colo. (KOAA) — A man from Rocky Ford has pleaded guilty to multiple charges of illegal firearms possession and drug trafficking.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado says 27-year-old Mario Rocha has pleaded guilty to the following charges;
- Possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them (three counts)
- Knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition (one count)
- Possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking (one count)
- Possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle
- Possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun
In August 2025, investigators found that Rocha was distributing large amounts of fentanyl, meth, and cocaine out of his home in Rocky Ford.
After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement recovered 1,169 grams of cocaine, 4,742 grams of fentanyl (approximately 45,000 pills), and 1,236 grams of meth.
Agents also found a large sum of cash and 17 firearms, which included a short-barreled rifle and a short-barreled shotgun.
Rocha's sentencing is scheduled for May 29, 2026.
The Rocky Ford Police Department and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation.
A local restaurant's post about dining and dashing is raising alarm bells
CSPD says an officer is looking into these situations, but they ask if any restaurant or bar is a victim of a dine-and-dash around mid-January to report it online or through their non-emergency line.
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