United States Drug Enforcement Administration

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho – A Hope, Idaho man was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to evidence presented in court, in 2015 and 2016, Larry Junior Hillbroom, 37, conspired with others to smuggle methamphetamine through international airports between North Idaho and the Pacific Islands of Guam and Palau. Hillbroom and others used several different methods to smuggle the drugs, including shampoo containers and carrying the substance on their person. Once in Guam or Palau, Hillbroom would coordinate with locals to sell the methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers learned of the conspiracy and were able to investigate and ultimately arrest Hillbroom and his coconspirators.

Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Hillbroom to pay a $2,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Hillbroom pleaded guilty to the charge on September 21, 2021.

Hillbroom was originally charged with Morgan Kenney, 36, Zachary Craig Carlson, 31, and Sean Robert Wathen, 50, all of Hope, Idaho. Kenney and Calson previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to prison time. Wathen pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy and is currently set for trial in May 2022.

U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended 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 prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.