Caldwell Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Distribution

 BOISE - Roberto Manuel Rojas, 31, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 262 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Rojas serve ten years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Rojas pleaded guilty to the charge on September 2, 2020.

According to court records, Rojas was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of distribution of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm. His charges stemmed from an investigation into the West Side Loma gang that spanned from October 2018 to October 2019. Law enforcement utilized an informant to purchase two ounces of methamphetamine and a shotgun from Rojas in January and February 2019. Rojas has a lengthy criminal history including violent felonies and is currently serving a state prison sentence for felony eluding a peace officer.

This case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime 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; 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 prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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.