Stapleton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possession of Drugs and Firearms

Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph Lynn Duran, 38, of Stapleton, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 2, 2023, to 12 years’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and for being a felon in possession of firearms. After his release from prison, Duran will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Duran pleaded guilty to both offenses on March 30, 2023.

On September 13, 2021, a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County, Nebraska, attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Duran. Duran did not stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued that continued into Logan County. During the pursuit, Duran tossed a duffel bag out the window of his vehicle. Police recovered the duffel bag a short time later and found it contained about four ounces of methamphetamine.

Duran continued driving toward his home in rural Logan County. He was eventually stopped a couple hundred yards away from his driveway. Police obtained a search warrant for his home. Among other things, they located a safe which contained items with THC (the major psychoactive component found in marijuana), ammunition, and a pipe bomb. In a second safe in the home, police located several firearms. One of the firearms was a Mini-14 rifle with a folding stock. In the garage, police located approximately five pounds of marijuana packaged for sale from marijuana dispensaries in the states of Washington and California. Duran had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

The investigation was conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and members of the CODE Task Force. The CODE Drug Task Force is made up of law enforcement agencies from several counties in west-central and southwest Nebraska, and they focus on investigating cases involving the distribution of controlled substances.