Grand View man indicted in connection with multi-county meth ring

An Elmore County man and two others from Elko, Nev., made an initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Boise on Friday in connection with a multi-county methamphetamine distribution ring.

Jose Antonio Diaz-Juarez, 44, of Grand View was indicted along with Diego Alejandro Alcantar-Armenta, 29, and Daniel Valdenegro-Zafiro, 24, on Sept. 9 by a federal grand jury in Boise.

The men were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, said U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson.

Details of the investigation involving the Elmore County Sheriff's Department were not immediately known. An indictment charges a person with criminal activity, but they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, Olson emphasized.

The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine in the state of Idaho between July 24 and Sept. 8. On two occasions, the defendants allegedly possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Ada County.

A trial is currently scheduled for Nov. 16 before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. The penalties for the charges vary depending on the facts for each charge.

If convicted, the charges include a maximum of 20 to 40 years in prison with a minimum sentence of five years in confinement followed by three to four years of supervised probation. The men also face maximum fines of $1 to $5 million on these charges.

In addition to the Elmore County Sheriff's Department, others involved in the investigation included the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Ada County Sheriff's Office, Owyhee County Sheriff's Office and the Elko Combined Narcotic Unit in Elko.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney special assistant hired by the Ada County prosecuting attorney's office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon and Malheur County.