Boise Man Pruneau Gets 8 Years for Meth Conspiracy

Raymond Joseph Pruneau, 52, of Boise, Idaho, is going to prison for nearly eight years after being sentenced to 97 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The hard-fought takedown culminated in a federal courtroom conviction, sealing Pruneau’s fate in one of Southwest Idaho’s most aggressive drug crackdowns in recent years.

U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson confirmed the sentencing, handed down by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge, who also imposed five years of supervised release and ordered the forfeiture of $100,000 in drug proceeds. The judgment reflects the severity of the operation Pruneau ran between October 2015 and February 2016, flooding Ada and Canyon Counties with high-purity methamphetamine.

Court evidence laid bare the operation: Pruneau coordinated deliveries with co-conspirators, setting up deals that law enforcement intercepted through controlled purchases. Agents closed in after months of surveillance, culminating in a raid on Pruneau’s home on February 11, 2016. Inside, they found 824 grams of methamphetamine and 415 grams of cocaine—enough to fuel a street-level empire for months.

The investigation didn’t stop at Pruneau’s doorstep. John Paul Tate, 48, of Caldwell, Idaho, was convicted in the same conspiracy and sentenced on November 16, 2016, to 240 months in prison. Tate, who pleaded guilty on August 17, 2016, also faces five years of supervised release and a $100,000 forfeiture order. His longer sentence underscores his deeper role in the trafficking network.

The case was a joint effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and the City County Narcotics Unit of Canyon County—agencies that have intensified pressure on drug rings exploiting Idaho’s rural corridors and urban centers. Their collaboration turned wiretaps, informants, and surveillance into a conviction that dismantled a significant supply chain.

Prosecution was handled by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, hired through the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and funded by the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. This multi-agency body targets trafficking organizations operating across Ada, Canyon, and Malheur Counties—proving again that federal and local forces are locking arms to crush the opioid and meth epidemic clawing through the region.