Olivehurst man pleads guilty to federal gun charge
Feb. 6—The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a 60-year-old Olivehurst man pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal firearm charge and could face life in prison as a result.
According to U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Rick Glenn Vardell, 60, of Olivehurst, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
"According to court documents, on three occasions in 2018, Vardell sold a total of 1,989 Vicodin pharmaceutical pills containing hydrocodone to a confidential source," officials said. "When law enforcement officers searched Vardell's residence, they found a hidden safe containing an additional 1,000 hydrocodone pills for sale and $98,0000 in cash. Under the pillow on the bed by the safe was a loaded Smith and Wesson handgun."
Vardell's guilty plea came after an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.
Officials said Vardell is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on April 24. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to life in prison and a fine of $250,000.
"The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables," officials said.
