Omaha Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearm Possession

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – On September 5, 2023, an Omaha man was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.

According to public court documents, in March 2023, Russell Paul Sorbello, 59, was found in possession of methamphetamine and cocaine during a traffic stop. In a subsequent search of Sorbello’s hotel room, law enforcement located additional drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Officers also located a firearm in Sorbello’s possession.

Upon release from prison, Sorbello will serve a 5-year total term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.