Madras Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Intent to Distribute Meth in Warm Springs

PORTLAND, OR—Darlene Danzuka (a.k.a. Darlene Highfill), 47, of Madras, Oregon, was sentenced on October 11, 2011 by U.S. District Judge Ancer L. Haggerty to 24 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On January 25, 2011, the defendant pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Haggerty ordered Danzuka to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons to begin serving her prison sentence on January 3, 2012.

According to the prosecutor, Ms. Danzuka previously lived on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. While Danzuka was living on the reservation, the Warm Springs Police Department learned that she was selling methamphetamine out of her house. The Warm Springs Police Department subsequently obtained search warrants for Danzuka’s house and truck. When police executed the search warrants, they found over an ounce of methamphetamine (including multiple bindles packaged for sale), a digital scale, and drug packaging materials.

“Methamphetamine dealers seek profit from people who are addicted,” said Bill Williams, Chief of the Criminal Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “Our office will prosecute those who bring this drug into tribal communities.”

This case was investigated by the Warm Springs Police Department and the Bend FBI office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel.