Henry Lopez and April Tyson Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 15, 2013 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on January 14, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Henry Lopez, a 50-year-old resident of Los Angeles, California, and April Ann Tyson, a 29-year-old resident of Seattle, Washington, appeared for sentencing. Anthony Ryan Yeverino, a 19-year-old resident of Seattle/Los Angeles, and Louis James Romero, a 44-year-old resident of Seattle/Los Angeles, were previously sentenced for their role in the conspiracy.
Lopez was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 360 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: five years
Tyson was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 120 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: five years
Yeverino was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 63 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: five years
Romero was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 235 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: six years
Lopez, Tyson, Yeverino, and Romero were all sentenced in connection with their guilty pleas to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine or possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In offers of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
During late November 2010, Lopez, Louis Romero, and X.X. began devising a plan and agreement to distribute methamphetamine from Los Angeles, California, and Seattle, Washington, to the state of Montana. April Tyson and Anthony Yeverino also became involved in this agreement. Lopez, Romero, and X.X. helped find people in Montana to distribute and sell the methamphetamine in Browning and Great Falls.
In early 2011, Lopez, Romero, and X.X. began supplying and fronting a confidential source (CS) with methamphetamine to sell in Montana. The CS was instructed to return the payments from the sale of the methamphetamine to Lopez, Romero, and X.X. From approximately January through May 2011, over 500 or more grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine were distributed in Browning and Great Falls under the direction of Lopez, Romero, and X.X. In addition, on two separate occasions in June 2012, Lopez mailed over 50 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine to Great Falls.
Law enforcement then became alerted to Tyson and Yeverino, who lived in Seattle, Washington. Tyson and Yeverino helped assist Lopez, Romero, and X.X. with the distribution of methamphetamine to Montana. On June 22, 2012, Yeverino, Romero, and X.X. intended to bring approximately an additional four pounds of methamphetamine to Montana. The plan did not occur on that date; however, they agreed to bring the methamphetamine a few days later, on June 27, 2012.
X.X., Romero, Yeverino, and Tyson agreed that Yeverino would bring the methaphetamine by train from Seattle to Shelby, Montana. Romero paid for Yeverino’s train ticket, and Tyson drove Yeverino to the train station. Yeverino had 500 or more grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine concealed under his shirt. Law enforcement arrested Yeverino in Shelby, Montana.
“The coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement in this case is truly a testament to what can be accomplished by a team mentality,” said United States Attorney Michael W. Cotter, District of Montana. “The arrests and convictions in this case have stopped a torrent of methamphetamine that was coming in from out-of-state and poisoning our communities.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson of the FBI Salt Lake City Division stated, “Cities such as Great Falls and Browning, Montana, should never become home base for illegal drug operations, and this case highlights how law enforcement collaboration bring defendants to justice and leads to safer communities. I would like to congratulate the Montana Regional Violent Crimes Task Force for its dedicated work on this investigation and its tireless efforts to rid our cities of drugs, gangs, and violence.”
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that all defendants will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, defendants do have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Montana Regional Violent Crimes Task Force.