Matthew R. Molsen United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska
Mikayla Daleness, a 26-year-old resident of Lexington, Nebraska, received a 78-month prison sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was handed down on March 27, 2025, by United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. Following her prison term, Daleness will undergo five years of supervised release.
From the summer of 2023 to early 2024, Daleness, along with three others from Cozad, transported methamphetamine from Colorado to the Lexington-Cozad area for distribution. Search warrants for Facebook communications helped investigators identify those involved. In January 2024, a search at a co-conspirator's residence in Cozad revealed a handgun, ammunition, methamphetamine, and related paraphernalia. Cell phone messages also indicated drug distribution activities. Recorded jail calls revealed plans to obtain more methamphetamine in Colorado. Authorities used a tracking device to stop a car on February 6, 2024, where Daleness was found with methamphetamine, THC, and drug paraphernalia. Further searches of her Cozad residence uncovered evidence of drug use and distribution.
The investigation was carried out by the CODE Drug Task Force, which includes the Lexington Police Department, the Cozad Police Department, the North Platte Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol. The West Metro Drug Task Force in Colorado also assisted.
