A massive marijuana smuggling operation has been dismantled after Jason Boyachek, a 42-year-old Canadian man from British Columbia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 1000 kilograms or more of marijuana from 2005 through May of 2007 in a federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
According to court documents, Boyachek was involved in smuggling marijuana from Canada to various locations in the United States and then transporting large quantities of currency back to Canada. On May 14, 2007, Customs and Border Patrol seized 600 pounds of marijuana hidden in a truck as it entered the United States near Pembina, North Dakota.
This shipment was destined for a rural location in Delaware County, Iowa. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers were able to seize over $1.2 million in drug proceeds. Boyachek was subsequently arrested in Canada on September 12, 2011, and extradited to the United States on March 26, 2015.
Boyachek faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $4,000,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program through a cooperative effort of The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force.
Boyachek remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared.
Related Federal Cases
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Alaska
- Amgen Inc, Pharmaceutical Misrepresentation, California 2024 · Alaska
- Kass Gayton, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, North Dakota 2017 · North Dakota
- Jose Arguello, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, South Dakota 2023 · Colorado
- Jesus Martinez Salazar, Meth Conspiracy, Minnesota 2024 · Oregon
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking