RENO, Nev. - A felon who was found guilty for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Reno and Sparks area was sentenced today to 19 years and six months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, announced United States Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Edward Smith, aka “Smitty," 51, was convicted by a jury in November 2018, of conspiracy to possess and distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine, illegal use of a communication facility, money laundering, distribution of at least 50 grams of methamphetamine, and distribution of at least five grams of methamphetamine. Smith has 12 prior convictions. United States District Judge Howard D. McKibben presided over the jury trial and sentencing hearing.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the three-day trial, Smith, an inmate at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, arranged for his niece's ex-boyfriend, whom he referred to as his “nephew," to sell methamphetamine to another inmate’s associate in the Reno community. Smith told his “nephew" how much to sell the methamphetamine for, how to sell the drugs, and to smuggle an ounce or two of methamphetamine to him each time the “nephew" sold it. His “nephew" sold methamphetamine to the associate in Sparks, Nevada, with the last sale involving a pound of methamphetamine for $7,000.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Nevada Department of Corrections, and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Keller prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
