Cheyenne, WY – Joshua Michael Archuleta, 34, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, is headed to federal prison after receiving a 39-month sentence for distributing fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson handed down the sentence on October 11, 2022, alongside a five-year term of supervised release. Archuleta was also ordered to pay $500 in community restitution and a $100 special assessment.
The case, a joint effort between the Cheyenne Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, highlights the persistent flow of deadly narcotics into Wyoming. Details of the fentanyl distribution operation remain scarce, but the sentence suggests a significant quantity of the potent opioid was involved. Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case, bringing Archuleta to justice.
Also sentenced on October 11th was Jarvis Jefferson, 50, of Cheyenne, who received 33 months imprisonment and five years supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jefferson was pulled over during a traffic stop on March 29, 2022, revealing an active arrest warrant for failure to appear in Laramie County. A search of his vehicle uncovered two firearms, leading to the federal charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated, with Elmore again serving as prosecutor.
Adding to the courtroom’s busy day, Chad Allen Kemper, 50, of Cheyenne, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and five years supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender. Kemper, with a lifetime registration requirement stemming from a 2003 conviction in Iowa, was arrested for violating that mandate. The United States Marshals Service led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom secured the conviction.
The sentencing streak continued on October 5th with George Manzanares, 35, of Cheyenne, receiving two years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood handling prosecution. The repeated firearms offenses underscore the ongoing struggle to keep weapons out of the hands of those with a history of violence.
These sentences, handed down by Judges Johnson and Freudenthal, represent a concerted effort by federal and local law enforcement to address a range of criminal activities in Cheyenne. While the details of each case vary, they paint a picture of a city grappling with drug trafficking, firearms violations, and failures to comply with legal requirements. The Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases and report on the ongoing battle against crime in Wyoming.
Related Federal Cases
- Ahmaad Jarvis, Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking, Iowa 2023 · Missouri
- Joe Gordon, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Arkansas 2014 · Iowa
- Darell Reed, Possession of Contraband, Illinois 2025 · Illinois
- James Brett Krablin, Controlled Substance Prescription Violations, Oklahoma 2016 · Oklahoma
- Veronica Dittman, Fentanyl Distribution, Tempe AZ, 2023 · Washington
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