Umatilla drug dealer gets 10 years
By Terry Murry on Monday, December 19th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
News release from the U.S. Department of Justice – Portland Division
PORTLAND, Ore.—A known drug dealer from Umatilla County, Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today after he was convicted at trial on multiple felony drug and firearm charges.
Jordan Anthony Camardese, 32, a resident of Umatilla, Oregon, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit a 9mm firearm used to facilitate his crimes.
According to court documents and trial testimony, on October 29, 2020, Camardese confronted several individuals about their alleged gang affiliations in or near the Pendleton Market, a small convenience store located in Pendleton, Oregon. After being confronted, several of the individuals left the market together in a single vehicle and traveled approximately one mile to a nearby auto detail shop. Camardese got into a vehicle driven by his wife and they sped off after the group.
When Camardese and his wife arrived at the auto detail shop, there was another confrontation and the shop’s owner repeatedly told Camardese to leave. As they drove away, Camardese pulled himself out of the passenger window and took a black handgun out of his waistband. After pausing briefly, the pair continued driving away. After hearing the commotion and seeing Camardese holding the handgun, a nearby witness called 911.
Officers from the Pendleton Police Department responded, located Camardese parked in his wife’s vehicle on a residential street less than a mile away, and placed him under arrest. Officers from the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Task Force (BENT) later searched the vehicle pursuant to a federal search warrant and located several of Camardese’s belongings as well as distribution quantities of heroin and fentanyl and assorted ammunition.
On November 12, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Camardese with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing with intent to distribute heroin. Later, on July 13, 2021, a fourth charge of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl was added.
On August 19, 2022, after a three-day jury trial, Camardese was found guilty on all charges.
This case was investigated by the FBI and BENT. It was prosecuted by Kemp Strickland and Sarah Barr, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. BENT is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force comprised of detectives from the Pendleton Police Department, Hermiston Police Department, Boardman Police Department, Oregon State Police, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Milton-Freewater Police Department, and Umatilla Tribal Police Department.
