Juneau Man Sentenced to 60 Months In Drug Conspiracy

Anchorage, Alaska - U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a Juneau resident was sentenced in Juneau to federal prison for drug conspiracy.

Bradley Arin Bethel, 26, of Juneau, Alaska, was sentenced January 22, 2014, by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess to 60 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy.  Co-conspirator Joshua River Riley was sentenced for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy on May 31, 2013 and received a 30 month prison sentence.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack S. Schmidt, who prosecuted the case, the charges arose from a joint investigation including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Juneau Police Department-Drug Metro Unit, as they investigated the importation of heroin into Juneau, Alaska. 

Between October 2012, and continuing through November 2012, Bethel and his co-conspirator Riley conspired to import heroin from Portland, Oregon, to Juneau, Alaska.  As part of the conspiracy, Riley contacted other co-conspirators in Oregon to supply heroin to him for subsequent distribution in Alaska.  Riley and Bethel provided the money to purchase the heroin and Bethel recruited a drug courier and arranged for the courier’s flight to Oregon to pick up the heroin with Riley, who had traveled the previous day to Oregon.  Bethel provided the courier with a cell phone and programmed the number for Riley in the cell phone for the courier to get in contact with Riley in Oregon.  Riley and the courier met in Oregon and Riley provided 106.4 grams of heroin to the courier to transport back to Alaska via commercial air carrier for subsequent distribution.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Burgess emphasized the seriousness of the offense, the need to deter the defendant and others and to provide treatment in the most effective manner for the defendant as reasons for imposing the 60 month prison sentence.

            Ms. Loeffler commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Juneau Police Department - Drug Metro Unit for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Riley and Bethel.