MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal
court, a 42-year-old Mendota Heights man pleaded guilty to possession with
intent to distribute more than 50 grams of high-purity methamphetamine. Joseph
Benjamin Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to
distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law. Thomas, who was
indicted on April 16, 2012, entered his plea before United States District
Court Chief Judge Michael J. Davis.
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. For his crime, Thomas
faces a potential maximum penalty of life in prison. And because the federal
system does not have parole, offenders serve virtually their entire sentences
behind bars. Judge Davis will determine his exact sentence at a future hearing,
not yet scheduled.
This case is the result of an
investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task
Force, which includes the United States 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R.
Winter.
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