BOISE - Jose De Jesus Garay-Gonzalez, 29, of Wendell, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge took Garay-Gonzalez’s plea. Sentencing is set for May 24, 2017.
According to evidence presented at the change of plea hearing, Garay-Gonzalez and his codefendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Idaho between June and September of 2016. Garay-Gonzalez and his codefendants arranged for three separate deliveries of methamphetamine in the Boise and Twin Falls, Idaho, areas. Investigators discovered the conspiracy and ultimately seized 2.9 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years and up to life, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000.
Codefendant, Maria Rosa Arteaga Guzman, 51, of Fruitland, Idaho, is currently set for a change of plea on May 9, 2017, for her role in the conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
