BOISE – A Nampa man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court records, Gilbert Garza, 27, of Nampa, fled from Idaho Department of Correction Probation and Parole officers who were lawfully visiting his home as part of his parole. With the Meridian Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics Team’s assistance, law enforcement officers found Garza in a vacant apartment nearby. After arresting Garza, officers lawfully searched his home and found a stolen handgun, approximately one quarter pound of methamphetamine, 62.9 grams of cocaine, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills, and $3,360 in cash. Law enforcement officers also found a digital scale and a large quantity of small baggies that are commonly used for weighing and packaging drugs for distribution.
Garza has a criminal history spanning 14 years. His prior state convictions include unlawful possession of a financial transaction card, aggravated assault, delivery of a controlled substance, and petit theft.
U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson, from the Eastern District of Arkansas, sitting by designation, ordered Garza to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Garza pleaded guilty to the charge on March 10, 2022.
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, of the District of Idaho made the announcement and commended the investigation by the Idaho Department of Correction and the Meridian City Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant United States 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 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 Oregon-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, Bannock, Kootenai, and Malheur Counties.
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