California Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for Drug Charge

BOISE – Kenny P. Breedlove, 35, of Porterville, California, was sentenced yesterday to 110 months for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Visiting U.S. District Judge Dee V. Benson also ordered Breedlove to serve four years of supervised release following his release from prison.  Breedlove pleaded guilty to the charge on May 12, 2015.

According to the plea agreement, Nampa police officers stopped a vehicle driven by Breedlove on October 6, 2014.  The officer saw that Breedlove was wearing a shoulder holster for a firearm, but there was no firearm in the holster.  Breedlove acknowledged the vehicle belonged to him and denied there was a firearm in the vehicle.  A police drug-detection dog alerted to the odor of illegal drugs in the vehicle.  During a search of the vehicle, officers located  a loaded 9 millimeter Taurus pistol, 337 grams of methamphetamine, and a digital scale.   Breedlove admitted that he possessed the pistol in connection with the drug offense.

Breedlove’s case is part of a larger long-term investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.  The investigation focused on the “Norteno” Northside gang, which is active in Nampa and other parts of the Treasure Valley.  Fourteen individuals were indicted on drug and gun charges as a result of the investigation.  To date, eight defendants have been sentenced.  In addition to Breedlove, Michael David Bradshaw, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on August 6, 2015, to 66 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.  Guadalupe Serrano, 35, of Caldwell, was sentenced on April 21, 2015, to 75 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.  Nicole Danelle Nieto, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on May 26, 2015, to 41 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.  Jose Manuel Menchaca, 35, of Nampa, was sentenced May 28, 2015, to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.  On June 17, 2015, Brandi Larrea, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and Tara Noelle Rivera, 30, of Nampa, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.  Johnny Lee Martinez, 33, of Nampa, was sentenced on July 20, 2015, to 57 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.  Guillermo Farias Jr., 29, of Nampa, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 26, 2015 and Richard Lobato, 51, of Nampa, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2015.  Two others are scheduled for trial including Jose Enrique Olvera Jr., 51, of Nampa, and Isaac Bright, 21, of Caldwell.  Two defendants have outstanding warrants, including Ruben Rodriguez, 36, and Veronica Cantu, 26, both of Nampa.

This case and the other related cases are the result of a joint investigation by theTreasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).  The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.  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.

The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.  The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.  For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.