Seven Await Sentencing for Conspiracy, Distributing Meth, Money Laundering

BOISE – Jimenez Valencia a/k/a Jorge Jimenez, 25, a Mexican national formerly living in Nampa, Idaho, and Tanna Spencer, 30, of Parma, Idaho, were sentenced to serve federal prison sentences today, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Valencia to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; Spencer was sentenced to 15 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Each will serve three years of supervised release following their release from prison. They pleaded guilty to the charge on November 8, 2012.

According to court documents, beginning in January 2011 and continuing through December 16, 2011, the defendants conspired with co-defendant Alfredo Dominguez-Villareal and others to possess and distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine in the Treasure Valley, and transported methamphetamine from California to Idaho for this purpose.

Seven co-defendants entered into plea agreements last year on related charges and currently await sentencing: Cynthia Casillas, 24, and Juan Carlos Arredondo-Sicairos a/k/a Victor Kalil Medina-Feliciano, 34, both of Delano, California, on February 5; Alfredo Dominguez-Villareal a/k/a Alfredo Vasquez-Dominguez, 29, and Nelson Fernando Garcia-Soto, 39, both of Boise, on February 6; Hector Morales, 29, of Tallamantez, California, on February 7; and Delia Garcia-Pineda, 44, of Boise, and Alonso Martinez, 26 a Mexican national, of Delano, California, on April 10.

The remaining defendant, Samuel Chavez, 32, of Boise, is set for trial on March 25 at the federal courthouse in Boise. He is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and use of a communication facility.

The case was the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with the Boise Police Department and the Ada County Sheriff's Office. The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. Federal task force members include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Marshals Service.