Drug charges lead to 50-year sentence

Comfort man has multiple arrests in other counties

A Comfort man with a hefty rap sheet will spend the next 50 years of his life behind bars after being sentenced Friday, Nov. 22, on drug charges stemming from a January arrest.

A Kendall County jury found Federico Neri, 47, guilty of the manufacture and delivery with intent to distribute of more than 40 grams of cocaine Oct. 24 after a two-day trial before Judge Kirsten Cohoon in the 451st state District Court. The case arose out of a multi-jurisdictional probe, officials said. On Jan. 30, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office’s tactical team joined Kerrville Police Department detectives in an early morning raid of a home in the 1000 block of Front Street in Comfort and detained Neri without a struggle, according to officials.

Members of Kerrville’s special investigations unit conducted extensive surveillance of Neri’s home, investigators said.

The surveillance revealed buyers would visit the home or meet Neri at other locations in Kendall County for brief periods before departing, consistent with the sale of narcotics, said law-enforcement officials.

Kerrville detectives Jonathan Collier and Daniel Virdell confirmed Neri was distributing illicit substances in the Kendall County area, prosecutors said, which led to a search of the defendant’s home under a warrant.

Once in the dwelling, KPD Officer Jeff Robitaille and his K-9 partner, Darby, searched the residence, which led to the discovery by the police dog of narcotics stashed in the residence, according to reports.

Investigators found methamphetamine, methamphetamine paraphernalia and “a large amount of cocaine” hidden in a safe bolted under the sink with “F. Neri” written on it, according to reports.

Officers recovered 2.1 grams of methamphetamine, 43.6 grams of cocaine, scales and other drug equipment, officials said.

During sentencing, prosecutors revealed Neri was arrested on 12 additional charges in neighboring counties including Kerr, Gillespie and Comal within the 12 months preceding the latest arrest.

All but three of those arrests were narcotics-related and collectively involved over 55 grams of cocaine, 295 grams of methamphetamine and $6,600 in cash, according to prosecutors.

Officer Jake Meadows of the Kendall County Adult Probation Office conducted a pre-sentence investigation and recommended the court hand down a significant stay in prison for Neri.

Assistant criminal district attorneys Derly Chapa and Elise Villers prosecuted the case.