Chico Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Butte and Shasta Counties

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Curtis Dale Sawyer, 53, of Chico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez, to four years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Sawyer pleaded guilty on December 11, 2018. According to court documents, on Dec 7, 2017, the California Highway Patrol stopped Sawyer while he was driving northbound on Interstate 5 in Shasta County. After a narcotics canine alerted to his car, agents searched the vehicle and found approximately 3.4 pounds of methamphetamine. Afterwards, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Chico home that Sawyer shared with co-defendant Ann Marie Vance. Inside the home, agents found approximately one-half pound of methamphetamine and over $106,000 in cash. Officers found another 8.3 pounds of methamphetamine in a car Vance was driving near the home.

In April 2019, Vance pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24. She faces a prison sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life; up to a $10 million fine; and a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Shasta Interagency Narcotics Task Force, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.