The first of eight co-defendants pleaded guilty Wednesday in a federal drug case believed to involve the largest seizure of crystal methamphetamine in Warren County history.

Jeremy Quezada, 29, of Arizona, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green to charges of conspiring to possess meth with the intent to distribute and possession of meth with the intent to distribute.

Quezada was one of eight people indicted in February by a federal grand jury on charges of taking part in a conspiracy to deal meth in the area between Oct. 1, 2019, and Aug. 30.

Quezada and two others were arrested Aug. 30 in the 700 block of Emma Lane on a state charge of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

An arrest citation from that date said Quezada was involved with transporting meth from California to Kentucky.

Local law enforcement and FBI agents collaborated on the investigation into the suspected trafficking that resulted in the seizure last year of about 40 pounds of crystal meth reportedly en route to Bowling Green.

Detectives also learned of a 25-pound shipment of meth that had made its way to Bowling Green from California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

The 40 pounds of meth was seized during a traffic stop in Texas.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office released information from a criminal complaint that detailed the July 24 stop of a Chevrolet Tahoe in Texas for speeding.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of the suspected crystal meth hidden in a black bag and a rental agreement featuring the name of Tyrecus Crowe, an accused co-conspirator.

A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent interviewed the driver, who said he was driving the rental vehicle from California to Bowling Green to deliver the drugs to Crowe, according to federal prosecutors.

The driver also claimed to have made a trip to California a week earlier for 25 pounds of meth for delivery to Crowe’s residence.

The driver also said Crowe provided him with the cash to bring to California, where he would meet with another alleged co-conspirator, George Sanchez, in Los Angeles.

They would then travel to a residence, where the money would be hand-counted and weighed on a scale during the drug transaction, federal prosecutors said.

The driver claimed to have been given $105,000 to deliver to Sanchez in exchange for the meth during his second trip.

Local law enforcement officials have said this case involved the largest quantity of meth seized in Warren County.

In addition to Quezada, Crowe and Sanchez, the federal indictment named Andre Graham, Michael Padilla, Raymond Derouse Jr., Brandon Cherry and Nathan L. Jackson as alleged co-conspirators.

The other seven men have pleaded not guilty.

Quezada accepted a plea agreement that recommends a sentence on the low end of the penalty range determined by federal sentencing guidelines that take into account a defendant’s prior criminal history and participation in the crimes for which he has admitted guilt.

Quezada will be sentenced July 8 by U.S. District Court Senior Judge Greg Stivers.

– Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.