Four More Co-defendants Sentenced for Trafficking Meth in Southwest Idaho
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that four more co-defendants–members of a southwest Idaho drug trafficking organization–were sentenced in United States District Court in Boise this week for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This brings to 11 the number of defendants sentenced in the case.
On Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Benjamine L. Vertner, 34, of Ontario, Oregon, to 138 months in prison, and Patric Campbell, 36, of Boise, to 124 months. They pleaded guilty in September 2012. Sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Justin L. Quackenbush were Kristopher Hensley, a/k/a Casey (K.C.) Hensley, 26, of Weiser, Idaho, to 51 months in prison, and Johnny A. Tambunga, 40, of Weiser, to 47 months in prison. They pleaded guilty in October 2012. The four defendants were each ordered to serve five years of supervised release following their federal prison term.
According to court documents, the defendants each admitted that from early November 2011 through May 16, 2012, they conspired with others, including co-defendants, to distribute a total of approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine in Canyon, Payette and Washington counties in Idaho.
Co-defendant Dawson Lee Moore, 60, of Weiser, pleaded guilty on January 4 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27 at the federal courthouse in Boise.
On February 4, three co-defendants were sentenced to serve federal prison sentences on related drug trafficking charges. Jacob James Clevenger, 31, of Weiser, was sentenced to 188 months; Mario Martinez, Jr., 55, of Greenleaf, Idaho, to 57 months; and Fabian Jordano Beltran, 23, also of Weiser, to 36 months.
On January 22, three co-defendants were convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Jesus Guadalupe Sanchez a/k/a Jose Salazar, a Mexican national, Michael Dennis Morris, and Jim Allen Loveland are scheduled to be sentenced on April 8. Sanchez was also convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police.
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