Jesus Guadalupe Sanchez, Meth Distribution, Idaho 2013

BOISE, Idaho - Three Men Convicted of Methamphetamine Distribution

A federal jury in Boise, Idaho, has convicted three men of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, a highly addictive drug with devastating effects on rural communities. Jesus Guadalupe Sanchez, a 31-year-old Mexican national, Michael Dennis Morris, 42, of Ontario, Oregon, and Jim Allen Loveland, 56, of Boise, Idaho, were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

The jury also convicted Jesus Guadalupe Sanchez of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

The evidence presented during the six-day trial revealed that from early November 2011 through May 16, 2012, the defendants conspired with others, including their co-defendants, to distribute a total of approximately 11 pounds of methamphetamine in Canyon, Payette and Washington counties in Idaho.

The charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years with the possibility of up to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.

The conviction of these three men underscores the commitment of federal, state, and local law enforcement to aggressively prosecute drug traffickers who damage our rural communities, prey upon Idahoans, and cause damage that ripples through our state.

The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on April 8, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise, Idaho.

Eleven co-defendants pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and are currently awaiting sentencing. Among them include Patrick Campbell, 36, of Boise, and Rachel Coblentz, 25, of Wrangell, Alaska, formerly of Weiser, who are set for sentencing on February 1, 2013.

The U.S. Attorney's Office had a strong record of prosecuting methamphetamine cases in 2012, with 73 defendants sentenced collectively to a total of 6,694 months - over 557 years - in federal prison for methamphetamine crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/federal-jury-convicts-three-men-conspiring-distribute-meth