BOISE, Idaho – A Boise woman was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others. According to court records, in April 2019, Angelina Ruth Bustamonte was stopped by police for a traffic violation. During the investigation, a drug detecting canine...

BOISE – A Jerome man was sentenced to federal prison for distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, Jose Luis Rodriguez-Landeros, 40, a Mexican national living in Jerome, was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Magic Valley. Using a confidential informant, officers purchased...

SPOKANE, Wash.– Dr. Jacqueline Thomas, N.D., an East Wenatchee-based naturopathic doctor, and Dr. Rebecka Hoppins, an Edmonds-based naturopathic doctor, have each agreed to pay $16,500 to resolve allegations under the Controlled Substances Act that they improperly prescribed controlled substances. The Controlled Substances Act regulates certain drugs deemed to pose a...

SEATTLE– The Drug Enforcement Administration will host its 22nd National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This bi-annual event offers free, anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide. “Disposing of unneeded medications can help prevent...

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, recently launched Operation Engage Spokane, which is a comprehensive community-level approach for addressing the drug epidemic – focusing on fentanyl distribution – through prevention strategies, facilitating conversations, and collaboration...

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced to 14 years in prison followed by eight years of supervised release for distributing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl resulting in the death of another individual. In issuing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline noted that the 21-year-old victim had his...

YAKIMA, Wash. – Chief U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian has sentenced Jesus B. Zavala-Alvarez, 28, of Kennewick, Washington, to 135 months in federal prison for his role in guarding a stash house, where the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 8 pounds of methamphetamine, 64 ounces of liquid methamphetamine and...

SPOKANE, Washington – La Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés), en colaboración con la Oficina del Fiscal de los Estados Unidos del Distrito Este de Washington, ha puesto en marcha recientemente la Operación Engage en Spokane, la cual es un enfoque integral a nivel...

POCATELLO – A Murtaugh man and a Pocatello man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Between January 1 and March 24, 2021, Antonio Verduzco-Arreola, 40, of Murtaugh, and Joseph Alexander Huber, 35, of Pocatello, entered into an agreement to distribute controlled substances in the Pocatello area. On...

SAN DIEGO –Jonathan Mefford was sentenced in federal court today to 190 months in prison for selling fentanyl-laced pills that caused the death of a 20-year-old Chula Vista man, identified in court records as J.P., in October of 2018, and for distributing multi-pound level quantities of methamphetamine in Kansas. Mefford...