FARGO, North Dakota – A Moorhead man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a major methamphetamine trafficking operation in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Raul Tovar, 49, was found guilty by a 12-person jury on January 22, 2013, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute in excess of 500 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
On May 1, 2013, U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson sentenced Tovar to life imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Tovar was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim’s Fund.
The investigation into Tovar’s operation began in December 2011, when Moorhead police officers were investigating a drug trafficking organization in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Following an execution of a search warrant at the AmericInn Lodge and Suites in Moorhead, agents arrested Jason Keller. Further investigation revealed that Keller and others were obtaining drugs from Tovar.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Fargo and West Fargo Police Departments, and Moorhead, Minn. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Myers and Megan A. Healy prosecuted the case.
Tovar’s life sentence is a significant blow to the methamphetamine trafficking operation that has plagued the Fargo-Moorhead area for years. The operation was responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine to users in the region.
With Tovar behind bars, law enforcement officials hope to dismantle the remaining aspects of the operation and bring those responsible to justice.
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Key Facts
- State: North Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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