Father and Son Plead Guilty to Fatal Shooting Which Occured During an Argument Over Weight of One Pound of Marijuana

Ortiz

From left to right: Rodney and Vincent Ortiz

Press release from the Department of Justice:

Rodney Vincent Ortiz and Vincent Rudy Ortiz (collectively, the defendants) pleaded guilty today in federal court today… related shooting and murder on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation in Humboldt County, Calif., announced United States Attorney Brian J. Stretch and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett.  The guilty pleas were accepted by the Honorable Richard Seeborg, U.S. District Judge.

According to the plea agreement, the defendants committed the shooting and murder following a dispute over a drug transaction that took place a week earlier.  Vincent Ortiz, 27, of Willow Creek, Calif., admits he sold what was supposed to be a pound of marijuana to Victim 1, a resident and member of the reservation.  When Victim 1 complained that the amount of marijuana was less than a pound, Vincent eventually traveled with his father, Rodney Ortiz, 54, to Victim 1’s residence to resolve the dispute. Rodney Ortiz admits he brought a loaded firearm to the residence; Vincent Ortiz admits he knew Rodney Ortiz brought the loaded firearm and that it was foreseeable his father would use the weapon to shoot Victim 1.  When the defendants arrived at the residence, they encountered a group of people inside.  An argument ensued between Victim 1 and Rodney Ortiz, resulting in Rodney Ortiz shooting Victim 1 and Victim 2 in the head.  Rodney Ortiz then shot Victim 3 in the head and shoulder before fleeing the scene with his son, Vincent. Victim 1 died as a result of the shooting, but Victims 2 and 3 managed to survive.  In his plea agreement, Vincent Ortiz admits he aided and abetted Rodney Ortiz’s use, carrying, and discharging of the firearm in furtherance of and in relation to the drug conspiracy and the resulting murder of Victim 1.  Vincent Ortiz also acknowledges in his plea agreement that he reasonably could have foreseen the shootings of Victims 2 and 3.

A federal grand jury indicted the defendants on December 17, 2015.  In the indictment, the defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 and 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D), use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A) and 2; and use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime causing murder, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(j) and 2, obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(C) and (k), and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).  Pursuant to today’s plea agreement, the defendants both pleaded guilty to one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and one count of use of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime causing the murder of Victim 1.

The defendants are next scheduled to appear before Judge Seeborg on May 2, 2017, for a sentencing hearing.  The maximum statutory penalties for use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime are life imprisonment, and a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment, to be imposed consecutive to any other term of imprisonment.  The maximum statutory penalty for use of a firearm causing murder is life imprisonment.  Each crime carries a maximum term of 5 years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Hopkins is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lance Libatique and Jessica Meegan.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Humboldt County Sherriff’s Office, Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, Eureka Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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40 Comments
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Eastside
Guest
Eastside
7 years ago

Scumbags. Lock them up for life.

browndwarf
Guest
browndwarf
7 years ago

possible life in a california prison over a pound, no thanks

Robert
Guest
Robert
7 years ago
Reply to  browndwarf

They plead guilty to Federal crimes as the violence occurred on an Indian Reservation. They will serve their time in a Federal prison.

judi
Guest
judi
7 years ago
Reply to  browndwarf

nooo, browndwarf…”possible life in a california prison over a pound, no thanks”

Rodney KILLED a wo/man and shot 2 others in the HEAD intending to kill them also…
over a pound.
wtf?
that is some big-assed pride/ego that allows him to execute PEOPLE who say they got a light lb.

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago

Terrible to see murder and overt terrorism rooting from the devil’s lettuce.

Senseless, and shameful…

It’s really time the Federal Government begins a full scale war to eradicate this evil plant, and bring to justice the terrorists that traffic in this open and accepted evil.

Deploying tanks, all weather helicopters, and the power of Federal courts can turn this monstrosity around so future children may live in a world free of terrorism that marijuana spreads.

Jason
Guest
Jason
7 years ago

You are extremely confused.

Over It
Guest
Over It
7 years ago

Yes and hopefully our new US Attorney General will begin the eradication efforts immediately after taking office! Remember how in this very blog just a few years ago all commenters insisted that weed was peaceful and all growers were wonderful healers? Ha! Ha Ha Ha!!

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Kym, what ever happened to the lady living in Arcada that drowned her baby in the Trinity and was found walking naked on 299?
That sad story just went away…
She was from Chile or something like that.

the misadventures of bunjee
Guest
the misadventures of bunjee
7 years ago

Why does she need to keep looking things up for you HBC? Are your search fingers broke or are you just that lazy and need someone to reply like usual?

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago

I’ve never asked her to look anything up, not sure where you feeling some need comes into play.

Odds are you are just a terrorist grower and your feelings have been upset from the truth, snowflake.

TC
Guest
TC
7 years ago

Devils lettuce, now thats hilarious !

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago
Reply to  TC

You like that?
Pretty funny…

judi
Guest
judi
7 years ago

to stop the farming of the devil’s lettuce – spray contrails of ditch-weed cannabis pollen.

buy hey!,
“paraquat not my pot!”

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago
Reply to  judi

The picture on the right makes it look as if a devil’s lettuce diet is extreme.

local woman
Guest
local woman
7 years ago

you should move out of Humboldt, you don’t belong here……….

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  local woman

Who made you the immigration czar………? Glad your opinions only count until Jan. 20.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
7 years ago

It’s money, not cannabis that’s the problem.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
7 years ago

Money is the problem, not cannabis. If cannabis didn’t have such a high dollar value, people wouldn’t kill over it.

Someone
Guest
Someone
7 years ago

Theres good people and bad people. Simple as that. People who have never touched any drugs do horrific things to people all the time. People get high and drunk and dont hurt anyone. Its not about any one substance causing people to be terrible. Its about the kind of person you are. And there is no fix for that, unless we embark into “giver” like society.

yayfor64
Guest
yayfor64
7 years ago

Looking forward to the weed market collapse and hopefully see lots of scum leave the area for pastures new .

zzz
Guest
zzz
7 years ago

lol@honeydew… the struggle is real! That worked in the past but with hash labs evoloutions they should double the effort!

HOJ in Training
Guest
HOJ in Training
7 years ago

This isn’t even about a pound, it’s about GRAMS! Come on, folks!

The answer to just about every single problem someone might encounter up here is simple:
CUT MORE CLONES!!!

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago

Yes, I agree that tanks and all weather helicopters supporting ground units should cut more clones.

River Rat
Guest
River Rat
7 years ago

H. B. C.—- Love, Evil, and Hate comes the Heart not from plants.

Honeydew Bridge Chump
Guest
Honeydew Bridge Chump
7 years ago
Reply to  River Rat

The plants are grown and bred to spread terrorism and destroy communities.

Most of these growers had a hand in 9/11 and have never been brought to justice for that.

Trump Sucks!
Guest
Trump Sucks!
7 years ago

Do us all a favor and go back under the bridge.

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
7 years ago
Reply to  Trump Sucks!

Don’t feed the loser trolls.

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
7 years ago
Reply to  Sparklemahn

Especially this chump.

the misadventures of bunjee
Guest
the misadventures of bunjee
7 years ago

I don’t really think you know what you’re talking about on Kyms site other than to just troll for your own amusement. Do us a favor…..go away. Go back to school. Get off line. Find something else to do with your time.

Miguel
Guest
Miguel
7 years ago

To the bridge jumper, ancients grew the ‘devil’s lettuce’ (is that your made up?) for medicinal value in many cultures. It has survived centuries of bad press but comes out on top for healing and well being. Spreading terrorism and destroying communities? No, that’s just the downside of humanity. I agree with bungee for once

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
7 years ago

Lay off the meth, get some sleep and come back when you are coherent.

Pooh Daddy
Guest
Pooh Daddy
7 years ago

Never have commented on the opioid epidemic. How about those things HBC? You probably have a few scrips though…

River Rat
Guest
River Rat
7 years ago
Reply to  River Rat

should have been from the heart.

Visual
Guest
Visual
7 years ago

Just look at these two faces, I see no good whatsoever , two of the finest scumbags depicted here.
Society had no need for them…

gunther
Guest
gunther
7 years ago

This is going to “weigh” pretty heavy on them for many years to come.

zzz
Guest
zzz
7 years ago

It’s too bad they can’t use bee’s to deliver some sort of psychotrophic to make these people behave or deliver a GMO to the lettuce!

Crazy Dog
Guest
Crazy Dog
7 years ago

The picture on the right looks like the Latino Hulk, Hulk Smash on how dare you say your pound was light

No Quarter
Guest
No Quarter
7 years ago

They have no place on earth anymore, its game over time.