Press Release
Man Who Was Caught With Almost 100 Pounds Of Meth And Marijuana In Vehicle Sentenced To Over 30 Years In Prison
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Topeka, Kansas man who was pulled over by Nevada Highway Patrol Officers in 2013, and found to be in possession of 24 pounds of methamphetamine and 74 pounds of marijuana, was sentenced today to 365 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden, for the District of Nevada.
Paul Edward Davis, 49, who was convicted by a jury in Las Vegas on Dec. 2, 2014, of one count of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon.
“This defendant was transporting large quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “We work with our Nevada High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and with state and local law enforcement on several task forces to apprehend and prosecute federally drug traffickers who are traveling through our Nevada communities with significant quantities of drugs for distribution.”
According to the court records, on July 27, 2013, at approximately 9:15 p.m., a Nevada Highway Patrol Officer pulled Davis’ SUV over for speeding on I-15 northbound near Las Vegas at Mile Marker 64. The trooper immediately observed the odor of marijuana coming from the inside of the vehicle, and a law enforcement canine dog alerted to the presence of a controlled substance. During a search of the vehicle, officers located three cellular phones, numerous air fresheners, and several large canvas bags in the rear area of the vehicle containing approximately 24 pounds of methamphetamine and 74 pounds of marijuana. Testimony at trial established that the value of the drugs was over $1 million.
Davis was on federal supervised release for a drug trafficking conviction when he was pulled over for this offense. In 2000, he had been convicted by a federal jury in Topeka, Kan., of distributing crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a university and sentenced to 17½ years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. After serving 11 years, he was re-sentenced and released from prison due to the amendments that were made to the federal sentencing guidelines which reduced the penalties for persons convicted of crimes involving crack cocaine.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Amber M. Craig and investigated by the DEA, Nevada Highway Patrol, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Updated May 6, 2015
Component