Nampa Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

BOISE - Roberto Nieto Rangel, 41, of Nampa, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Rangel serve 5 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. A federal grand jury indicted Rangel on February 13, 2019. Rangel pleaded guilty to the charge on December 11, 2019.

According to court records, Rangel possessed nearly a pound of methamphetamine as well as a handgun with a scratched-off serial number. Rangel is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for domestic assault and because he is in the United States unlawfully. Rangel has been convicted twice of illegally re-entering the United States.

This case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Homeland Security; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.

This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.

This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.