Source: Office of United States Attorneys
BOISE – Rito Salazar, 59, of Nampa, was sentenced to 182 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Salazar to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to court records, Salazar was sending a courier to California monthly to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and transporting them to Idaho. He would then redistribute the methamphetamine to local street dealers in Idaho for further distribution. Salazar has an extensive criminal history and has previously been convicted of drug trafficking crimes at the state level.
“This investigation is an excellent example of the success achieved when local law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office partner to disrupt multi-state drug traffickers.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott. “As our population grows, so does drug traffickers’ access to larger supplies of drugs. Ensuring drug traffickers are held accountable for bringing these dangerous drugs to Idaho is among the highest priorities of Idaho’s local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the collaborative investigation efforts of the Boise Police Department’s Boise Area Narcotic Drug Interdiction Team (BANDIT), the Canyon County City and County Narcotics Unit (CCNU), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Sacramento Field Office’s Fresno Resident Agency, which led to the charges. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey A. Manweiler prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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