Twin Falls Man Sentenced for Meth Distribution

POCATELLO – Uriel Jose Ortega, 26, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill to 22 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Ortega pleaded guilty to the charge on June 1, 2015, but later tried unsuccessfully to withdraw his guilty plea.

According to the plea agreement and sentencing hearing, on July 10, 2014, Ortega was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by the Idaho State Police in Bonneville County, Idaho. The two were traveling from Idaho to Montana. In the vehicle, officers subsequently found in excess of 1.3 kilograms of actual methamphetamine as well as numerous firearms. Further investigation determined that Ortega had been distributing large amounts of methamphetamine to Montana from Idaho for an extended period of time. The court also found that Ortega had threatened witnesses and a law enforcement officer during the investigation.

The case was the result of an investigation by the Idaho State Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Montana. The case was prosecuted jointly by the attorneys from the United States Attorney’s Office in Idaho and the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office in Montana.