Meth dealer sentenced to nine years in prison

Missoula—A Wyoming man convicted of trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in the community for several years was sentenced today to nine years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Alberto Hernandez, Jr., 35, of Gillette, Wyo., pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to distribute meth.

Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The prosecution said in court records that Hernandez was a major meth dealer from about 2015 to 2019. Missoula Police Department officers arrested Hernandez on April 12, 2019 on an outstanding warrant and a search of Hernandez determined he had $1,279 in U.S. currency and more than 20 grams of meth.

Confidential informants told law enforcement that Hernandez supplied them with meth. One of the informants said Hernandez would deliver one or two pounds of meth every week and that in total, Hernandez distributed an estimated 75 pounds to 100 pounds of meth in Missoula over a two-year period. One hundred pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 362,400 doses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Montana Regional Violent Crimes Task Force and the FBI.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.