POCATELLO – Paulino Ayala-Rodriguez, 32, of Blackfoot, Idaho, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. He pled guilty to the charge on February 13, 2012.

According to the plea agreement, on March 23, 2011, in Bingham County, Idaho, Ayala-Rodriguez sold in excess of five grams of methamphetamine to another individual knowing the substance he was delivering was methamphetamine.

“Those who traffic in methamphetamine pose a grave danger to our community,” said Olson. “Methamphetamine remains Idaho's most significant drug problem. We will work closely with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to ensure that those who seek to profit and bring this poison to our community, like Ayala-Rodriguez, face sure punishment.”

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).