Meth-related federal sentences handed out

by Roundup staff

Seventeen people, including nine current or former Sublette County residents, were sentenced to federal prison in the past two years for felony drug convictions. The final sentences were handed out in November and December of 2008.

Two drug conspiracy investigations, which spanned from 2005, were conducted by a joint investigation between the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET), the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force (SCSO NTF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

“It was a lot of hours and a lot of work,” said Sublette County Sheriff Wayne “Bardy” Bardin. “It took a lot of folks who were dealing in high quantities off the street.”

Those sentenced in 2007 and 2008 in the drug conspiracy were:

— 39-year-old John Kevin Eckdahl, of Big Piney, to five years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth.

— 41-year-old Russell Jerome Yeager, formerly of Marbleton, to three years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth.

— 32-year-old Justin David McBee, formerly of Big Piney, to three years and 10 months of supervised release, including 12 months of home confinement, for conspiracy to distribute meth.

— 57-year-old Paul Manzanedo, formerly of Pinedale, to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth.

— 44-year-old Timothy Hackney, formerly of Marbleton, to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth.

— 37-year-old Milton Robert Peterson, formerly of Pinedale, to 12 years and four months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth charges.

Also sentenced were: Candy Lynn Barber, 27, of Rock Springs, to five years and 10 months; Aracelly Quezada-Moreno, 23, of Rock Springs, to nine years and six months; Jesus Medina-Acosta, 22, of Rock Springs, to seven years and four months; Paul Ontiveros, 24, of Rock Springs, to 10 years and one month; and Cristian Alan Cruz-Avenda, 24, of Rock Springs, to 10 years and six months. All were for conspiracy to distribute meth charges.

On Dec. 19, 2008, the last of six persons were sentenced in a drug conspiracy investigation that started in 2006.

— 40-year-old Lawrence Jacob Henry Jr., of Bondurant, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth and for carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

— 31-year-old Shannon Michael Bozeman, formerly of Marbleton, to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute meth.

— 42-year-old Dwight David Wallace, formerly of Bondurant, to 10 years and one month for conspiracy to distribute meth.

Also sentenced were: Jennifer Figueroa, 39, of Salt Lake City, to five years and 10 months; Pablo Sanchez, 51, of Salt Lake City, to 18 years; and Marcie Johnson, 40, of Salt Lake City, to five years. All were for conspiracy to distribute meth charges.

The Southwest Enforcement Team is comprised of agents from the Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, Evanston Police Department, Uinta County Sheriff’s Office, Green River Police Department, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Teton County Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m really proud of everyone involved,” Bardin added. “As a result (meth) activity in our county is way down — and it helped our surrounding counties and all the way to Salt Lake and even California.

“It shows that we’re not messing around with it.”