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Press Release

Kansas Man Sentenced for Dealing Meth with a Gun

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Cody Rhyne, 32, of Hiawatha, Kansas, was sentenced August 26, 2020 by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He received a sentence of 144 months with a three-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.

On or about December 4, 2019, Rhyne drove to the parking lot of a Shopko in Falls City, Nebraska, where he sold an informant half an ounce of methamphetamine. Officers followed Rhyne’s vehicle and activated the emergency lights and siren but Rhyne did not stop. Officers pursued Rhyne’s vehicle at speeds reaching 105 MPH. During the pursuit, Rhyne ran three stop signs, one traffic control device, turned in front of a semi, and was almost hit at the intersection of HWY#8 and HWY#75. After Rhyne’s Cadillac ran out of gas south of Humboldt, Nebraska, Rhyne fled on foot. He was taken into custody shortly thereafter.

In Rhyne’s vehicle officers found a Taurus 9 mm handgun, a loaded handgun magazine containing 9 mm hollow point rounds, digital scales, and six plastic bags containing a total of 299.734 grams of lab-confirmed methamphetamine mixture.

In a post-Miranda interview, Rhyne admitted that he sold ten grams of meth and a .22 caliber rifle to the informant and that he planned to sell more methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a national initiative of the Department of Justice that was announced in 2001 to reduce and prevent violent crime and make the nation’s neighborhoods safer.

Updated August 28, 2020

Topics
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Drug Trafficking
Firearms Offenses