Pocatello Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl
Pocatello, Idaho – Geoffrey W. Ancheta, 40, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, members of the BADGES Task Force stopped Ancheta and his co-defendant, Alme Otto, as they returned from a trip to Arizona on April 13, 2024. Task Force officers searched the car and found over 500 grams of blue fentanyl pills and a firearm. Ancheta later admitted trafficking fentanyl to Idaho.
A federal grand jury indicted Ancheta and Otto in July 2024. Ancheta pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute on October 23, 2024. On April 14, 2025, the Honorable Chief District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Ancheta to 9 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated through 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.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Geoffrey W. Ancheta, 40, of Pocatello, Idaho
Criminal Charges: Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
City and State: Pocatello, Idaho
Date: April 13, 2024 (arrest), April 14, 2025 (sentencing)
Sentence: 9 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release
Amount: Over 500 grams of fentanyl pills found
Key Facts
- State: Idaho
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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