Lincoln Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Javier Garcia-Hernandez, a/k/a Alberto Perez, a/k/a Juan Manuel Aranada, Jr., a/k/a Carlos Alcozer, a/k/a Javier Hernandez, a/k/a Alberto Aranda, a/k/a Juan Manuel Aranda, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska., was sentenced to life imprisonment on October 4, 2011, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Garcia-Hernandez was convicted of the charge by a federal jury in Lincoln in June of 2011. Prior to the trial, the United States Attorney’s Office filed an Information alleging that Garcia-Hernandez had three prior felony drug convictions from the states of Iowa, South Dakota, and Texas. Those three felony convictions were filed under three different names. At an evidentiary hearing on October 4, 2011, the government presented documentary and fingerprint evidence linking Garcia-Hernandez to the three prior convictions. Based on that evidence, the Honorable Richard G. Kopf, United States District Judge, found that Garcia-Hernandez was the person convicted in all three of the earlier cases. Due to the amount of drugs for which Garcia-Hernandez was held responsible and the court’s finding that Garcia-Hernandez had at least two prior felony drug convictions, the mandatory minimum sentence was life imprisonment.

Evidence presented at trial indicated that between the spring of 2009 and May 19, 2010, Garcia-Hernandez was part of a methamphetamine distribution organization which distributed multiple pounds of methamphetamine in the Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota areas. Search warrants executed on May 19, 2010, at four Lincoln residences and three garages resulted in the finding of over two pounds of methamphetamine at locations associated with members of the conspiracy. This case resulted from an investigation which began in the spring of 2009. A total of eight persons, including Garcia-Hernandez, were indicted as a result of that investigation. The remaining seven persons all pled guilty and have received sentences ranging from 37 months to 135 months in federal prison.

The matter was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, which includes the Lincoln Police Department Narcotics Unit and investigators from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department and the UNL Police Department; the Drug Enforcement Administration in Omaha and Sioux Falls, South Dakota; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Additional assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.