United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Jose Luis Meza-Lopez, age 39, to 210 months in federal prison on two counts of conviction, followed by five years of supervised release. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

Mr. Meza-Lopez, from Phoenix, Arizona, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to launder money on October 16, 2014. Meza-Lopez had been involved in the transportation of methamphetamine from Phoenix to Lincoln where it was distributed in the eastern Nebraska area by a group headed by Ramon Garcia. Meza-Lopez prepared cars in Phoenix which transported large quantities of methamphetamine to Lincoln. Those cars then took cash back to Phoenix from Lincoln. He was found responsible for 45 pounds of methamphetamine sent to Lincoln by the organization between February and October 22, 2013. The organization made about 19 round trips during that time. The last known trip resulted in Ramon Garcia’s arrest in Lincoln on October 22, 2013. Garcia was about to exchange a car containing $10,000.00 in cash for one which had just been driven from Phoenix which contained about 4 pounds of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.