Lisa Rochel Samayoa, Meth Conspiracy, Idaho 2013

Methamphetamine Plague Hits Idaho: Four Defendants Plead Guilty to Conspiracy

BOISE, IDAHO – In a shocking turn of events, four defendants in the Aryan Knights investigation have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. The defendants, Lisa Rochel Samayoa, 45, of Boise, Darin Scott Melton, 44, of Twin Falls, Idaho, Nina Ann Lucas, 32, of Pocatello, Idaho, and Omar Riveroll-Hernandez, 32, of Long Beach, California, will face severe consequences for their crimes.

According to the U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson, the defendants were part of the Aryan Knights gang, a group known for its involvement in prison and street activities throughout Idaho. The investigation, led by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, lasted for years and resulted in the indictment of the defendants on September 12, 2012.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by up to life imprisonment, a maximum fine of $10 million, and a minimum term of five years of supervised release.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 6, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise. This is a significant blow to the Aryan Knights gang, which has been wreaking havoc on Idaho communities for years.

Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug that destroys lives and harms communities, said Olson. This office and federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute drug traffickers.

The cases were the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force.

Olson highlighted the office’s strong record of prosecuting methamphetamine cases in 2012, with 73 defendants sentenced in federal court in Idaho for methamphetamine distribution crimes.

Related Federal Cases