Lewiston Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy

COEUR D’ALENE—Adolfo Baustista Ascencio, 37, of Lewiston, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 126 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Ascencio to serve five years of supervised release following his prison term and forfeit $200,000 in cash and a 2000 F250 pickup he used during the commission of the offense. Ascencio pleaded guilty to the charge on July 11, 2011.

According to court documents, Ascencio began selling methamphetamine in November 2009. He received the methamphetamine from sources in Washington state and conspired with others to sell it in the Lewiston area. Ascencio was arrested in August 2010 for lewd conduct with a child, when it was reported he was paying two 15-year-old females for sex with methamphetamine and counterfeit money. Ascencio pled guilty to the offense and received four to 15 years in state prison. In September 2010, law enforcement served a search warrant on Ascencio’s residence and seized over $115,000 in cash and over 400 grams of methamphetamine.

Olson commended the joint investigation by the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug,” said Olson. “This office and its federal, state and local law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and prosecute efforts to bring this drug into Idaho.”