Morgan Kenney, Zachary Craig Carlson, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Idaho 2023

Coeur d’Alene, ID – In a shocking turn of events, two Hope, Idaho men, Morgan Kenney, 35, and Zachary Craig Carlson, 30, have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in a massive methamphetamine conspiracy.

According to court records, in 2015 and 2016, Kenney and Carlson conspired with Larry Junior Hillbroom, 37, and Sean Robert Wathen, 49, to smuggle methamphetamine through international airports between North Idaho and the Pacific islands of Guam and Palau.

The brazen scheme involved using shampoo containers and carrying the substance on their person to evade detection. Once in Guam or Palau, the duo would coordinate with locals to sell the methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers were able to learn of the conspiracy and ultimately arrest Kenney, Carlson, and their coconspirators.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which identified, disrupted, and dismantled the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States.

Senior United States Ninth Circuit Judge Richard C. Tallman sentenced Kenney to 52 months and Carlson to 37 months. Upon completion of their time, they were ordered to serve an additional three years of supervised release.

The two remaining defendants, Hillbroom and Wathen, are currently scheduled for trial in November at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.

Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Idaho State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which led to charges.

This case serves as a reminder of the devastating impact of methamphetamine on our communities and the tireless efforts of law enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice.

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