Drug busts send 17 to prison for Meth trafficking
Convictions cap four years of work by narcotics investigators with the Sublette County Drug Task Force and other agencies
by Dawn Ballou, Pinedale Online!
January 28, 2009
Sublette County Sheriff Wayne "Bardy" Bardin held a press conference on Monday, January 26th, to release information about two long-term drug conspiracy investigations which resulted in the arrest and conviction of seventeen people for possession and distribution of methamphetamine in Sublette and Sweetwater counties. The investigations, which lasted from 2005 through 2008, netted people from Pinedale, Big Piney, Marbleton, Bondurant, Rock Springs, and Salt Lake City, Utah. People convicted received sentences of from three to 18 years in prison for Methamphetamine drug trafficking.
DRUGS SEND SUBLETTE COUNTY AND SWEETWATER COUNTY RESIDENTS TO PRISON
Drug Arrests (95K, 4-page PDF)
On November 7, 2008, the last of eleven people was sentenced in a long term drug conspiracy investigation, which started in 2005, into methamphetamine possession and trafficking. The arrests included people from Big Piney, Marbleton, Rock Springs, Pinedale. The investigations spanned from Wyoming, to Ogden, Utah, Phoenix, Arizona and Southern California. The joint investigation was between the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET), the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force (SCSO NTF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
People involved were given prison for from three to 12 years for convictions of intent to distribute Methamphetamine. Arrested and convicted in association with this investigation were:
John Kevin Eckdahl (39) of Big Piney, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 5 years 10 months. (Sentenced on Nov. 7, 2008)
Russell Jerome Yeager (41), formerly of Marbleton, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 3 years 10 months. (Sentenced on July 8, 2008)
Justin David McBee (32), formerly of Big Piney, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 3 years 10 months. (Sentenced on May 7, 2008)
Candy Lynn Barber (27), of Rock Springs, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 5 years 10 months. (Sentenced on May 7, 2008)
Paul Manzanedo (57), formerly of Pinedale, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 10 years. (Sentenced on April 8, 2008)
Aracelly Quezada-Moreno (23), formerly of Pinedale, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 9 years. (Sentenced on March 6, 2008)
Timothy Hackney (23), formerly of Marbleton, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 5 years. (Sentenced on March 5, 2008)
Jesus Medina-Acosta (22), of Rock Springs, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 7 years 4 months. (Sentenced on January 15, 2008)
Milton Robert Peterson (37), formerly of Pinedale, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 12 years 4 months. (Sentenced on December 13, 2007)
Paul Ontiveros (24), of Rock Springs, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 10 years 1 month. (Sentenced on November 19, 2007)
Cristian Alan Cruz-Avenda (24), of Rock Springs, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 10 years. (Sentenced on November 19, 2007)
GUNS AND DRUGS SEND SUBLETTE COUNTY RESIDENTS TO PRISON
Drug Arrests (67K, 3-page PDF)
On December 19, 2008, the last of six people was sentenced in a long-term drug conspiracy investigation which started in 2005. That investigation spanned from Sublette County to the Salt Lake City, Utah area, and netted people from Salt Lake City, Bondurant and Marbleton. This case involved joint investigation by the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET), the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force (SCSO NTF), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
People involved were given prison for from five to 18 years for convictions of intent to distribute Methamphetamine. Convicted in association with this long-term drug conspiracy investigation were:
Jennifer Figueroa (39), of Salt Lake City, Utah, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 70 months. (Sentenced on December 19, 2008)
Lawrence Jacob Henry Jr (40), of Bondurant, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and sentenced to 10 years. (Sentenced on March 20, 2008)
Shannon Michael Bozeman (31), formerly of Marbleton, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 10 years. (Sentenced on September 19, 2008)
Dwight David Wallace (42), formerly of Bondurant, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 10 years 1 month. (Sentenced on November 24, 2008)
Pablo Sanchez (51), of Salt Lake City, Utah, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 18 years. (Sentenced on November 25, 2008)
Marcie Johnson (40), of Salt Lake City, Utah, pled Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute Methamphetamine, and sentenced to 5 years. (Sentenced on December 10, 2008)
SUBLETTE COUNTY DRUG TASK FORCE
When Bardin took over as Sheriff of the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office in 2005, they started their own drug task force. These two drug conspiracy investigations wrap up what the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office has had going since 2005 until 2007. Sheriff Bardin said there hasn’t been a lot of information about drug arrests in the newspapers for a long time because the local investigations were tied in tightly together with investigations by other agencies and other states, which could not be released until the people involved were convicted and sentenced. "Sometimes people ask what’s going on with the drugs, and I couldn’t answer them," Bardin said.
"This was a big effort with well up to five counties to see that we get this methamphetamine charged and under control," Sheriff Bardin said.
"We got a lot of folks off the streets that were dealing in high, high quantities," Bardin said.
"This is Round One here. Round Two started about eight months ago," Bardin said. Because of the time it takes to complete all aspects of the investigations and go through the prosecutions and sentencing, it might be three to four years before information on the current investigations will be released.
"There were a lot of hours and a lot of work. A lot of people were away from their families for an extended period of time," he added.
Sheriff Bardin said, "Not only did we help Sublette County, but we have helped surrounding counties." He said their efforts extended to ultimately help with drug trafficking in Salt Lake City, Utah, and as far away as California by providing information.
"The task force deserves a pat on the back for all the hours they have worked on this," Bardin said. "It might sound like an exciting adventure, but it is real tedious. They did an excellent job."
The sweeps have made a difference with drug activity in Sublette County. "It is noticed out there, because the amount of activity we’ve had since is way down," Bardin said.
The Southwest Enforcement Team is comprised of agents from DCI, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, Green River Police Department, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office.
Law enforcement encourages the public to continue to provide information in a timely manner when they suspect someone is engaged in the use and distribution of drugs. The public is welcome to contact the Division of Criminal Investigation, SWET, and the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office with information regarding illegal drugs.
|
