Pablo Leyva, 28, of South Sioux City, Nebraska, and Chrystian Townsley, 34, of Sioux City, Iowa, have been brought to justice for their roles in a massive drug trafficking operation.
A federal court in Omaha sentenced Leyva to 20 years of imprisonment and Townsley to 15 years of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. There is no parole in the federal system.
After completing their terms of imprisonment, both Leyva and Townsley will begin 5-year terms of supervised release. The harsh sentences handed down by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. serve as a stark reminder of the severe consequences of engaging in illicit activities.
The investigation into Leyva and Townsley’s activities revealed a brazen and well-planned operation. On March 8, 2020, the pair, along with a female accomplice, were traveling in a truck in Arizona on their way to Mexico to engage in drug trafficking. They brought a Diamondback Arms, Inc., DB-15 rifle to facilitate the drug trafficking.
However, their plans were foiled when officers in Arizona pulled them over as they traveled toward Mexico and took the rifle. Undeterred, Leyva, Townsley, and the female accomplice continued traveling to Mexico, leaving the truck behind and re-entering the United States on foot.
Eventually, they were picked up by a female from Nebraska who drove them back to the Nebraska area. But their luck ran out on March 14, 2020, in Liberal, Kansas, when an officer pulled them over and located 5 cellophane-wrapped packages collectively containing about 4 pounds of methamphetamine and 65 fentanyl pills in the vehicle. The pair was transporting the drugs to distribute them.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the United States Secret Service, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The sentences handed down in this case serve as a warning to those involved in illicit activities: the consequences of getting caught are severe and long-lasting. Pablo Leyva and Chrystian Townsley’s 25-year sentences will keep them off the streets for a long time, and serve as a deterrent to others who may be considering similar activities.
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Key Facts
- State: Nebraska
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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