WILLMAR -- Two Willmar men charged with dealing cocaine in the city pleaded guilty to felony charges in Kandiyohi County District Court. Both had been scheduled for jury trials to begin Tuesday before Judge Donald M. Spilseth.
Baldemar Malagon, also known as Eliseo Castin and Baldemar Malagon Ocapo, 32, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two first-degree drug sale felonies for selling 10 or more grams of cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine within a 90-day period. As part of a plea agreement, nine additional felony drug sale charges will be dismissed.
Refugio Cazares, 49, pleaded guilty to two third-degree controlled substance crimes, which are amended charges from the first-degree controlled substance crimes with which he was charged in September. Two additional felony charges for drug conspiracy will be dismissed.
Cazares was charged after CEE-VI Drug Task Force agents and a confidential informant completed two drug purchases, for 15.3 grams and 29.7 grams of cocaine, on June 21 and 27 in Willmar. During the deals, the informant used $700 and $1,200 of drug task force money to purchase the drugs. Further surveillance by agents showed that Cazares' home was where another man went to get the drugs or get someone else who would then get the drugs to sell to the informant.
The charges were filed against Malagon for five drug sales to a CEE-VI informant in May and June in Willmar. During each deal, the informant would meet another man at a location and then the informant would wait until he got the drugs from Malagon's home or from him at another location. During one of the deals, the man told the informant that Malagon/Castin was the supplier of the drugs. On June 6, officers executed a search warrant on the home and found a digital sale, $1,900 in a safe and a $50 bill with a matching serial number to the CEE-VI task force money used in the deals.
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Sentencing for both men is set for Jan. 15.
