Mendota Heights Man Sentenced for Possessing Methamphetamine

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 43-year-old Mendota Heights man was sentenced for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of high-purity methamphetamine. United States District Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis sentenced Joseph Benjamin Thomas to 120 months in prison on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law. Thomas was indicted on April 16, 2012, and pleaded guilty on July 11, 2012. In his plea agreement, Thomas admitted that between February 1 and April 16, 2012, he possessed with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the University of Minnesota Police Department; the Minneapolis Police Department; and the St. Paul Police Department, with significant assistance from the Fairmont Police Department and the Minnesota Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter.