Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Separate Fentanyl Trafficking Cases

POCATELLO – Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced the results of two separate drug distribution cases in eastern Idaho today.

In one case, David Erik Traversa, 32, of Utah, was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.

According to court records, in May 2024, officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle and arrested an individual in possession of approximately 200 fentanyl pills weighing 19.6 grams. Officers found two hotel room keys and applied for a search warrant. A magistrate judge for the Sixth Judicial District, State of Idaho, issued a warrant to search the hotel rooms.

Officers executed the search warrant on the hotel rooms. In one room officers found Traversa overdosing; they engaged in life saving measures while waiting for the ambulance. In the hotel room, officers found fentanyl pills and drug paraphernalia including several different sized baggies commonly used to package drugs. The ambulance took Traversa to the hospital where he received treatment for the nonfatal overdose. While at the hospital, staff found a black drawstring bag attached to his genitals. The drawstring bag contained approximately 576 fentanyl pills. In total, the fentanyl seized during the traffic stop and found in Traversa’s possession weighed 84.42 grams.

Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Traversa to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Traversa pleaded guilty to the charge in November 2024.

In a separate case, Casey Steven Evans, 38, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute it.

According to court records, in May 2024, law enforcement stopped a blue Range Rover belonging to Evans. During the traffic stop, officers developed probable cause to search the Range Rover. When officers searched the trunk, they found a black metal safe that contained small blue circular fentanyl pills and a loaded black and silver SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun. On the front passenger floor, officers found a second loaded handgun, which was a black Taurus PT111 9mm. The safe contained 107.94 grams of fentanyl.

Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Evans to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Evans pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2025.

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, the Pocatello Police Department, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted these cases.

These cases were investigated though the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force.

The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.

These cases were handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.

The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.

This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 190 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 165 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 11,060 months (approximately 921.66 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 76.81 months (6.4 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 63.61 months (5.3 years) in federal prison.

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