Idaho Falls men sentenced in meth case

Two Idaho Falls men got prison sentences for meth trafficking on Tuesday.

N. Randy Smith of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, acting as U.S. District Court judge, sentenced Saul Arellano-Alvarado, 41, to 70 months (just under six years) in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jaime Meza-Gonzalez, 47, got one year in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting.

Both defendants had pleaded guilty to the charges in September.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Idaho, in November 2010, a person wanting to buy meth contacted Meza-Gonzalez. Meza-Gonzalez directed that person to Arellano-Alvarado. The next day Arellano-Alvarado made arrangements to distribute the meth in an Idaho Falls parking lot.

The third defendant in the case, Roberto Carlos Camarena, 25, of Sugar City, is a fugitive. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The charges come from the efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.