Missouri Man sentenced to 10 years for trafficking cocaine into Idaho
News Team
TREASURE VALLEY, Idaho (KIFI) — An out-of-state cocaine dealer is facing a lengthy prison sentence after being caught drug trafficking in Idaho.
William Charles Jones, 34, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Thursday, November 13, for distributing cocaine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Following his release, Jones must also serve four years of supervised release.
Court records show Jones was a high-volume cocaine distributor in the Treasure Valley area. Investigators say the 34-year-old would travel to Missouri to purchase several kilos of the drug and have it shipped to himself at a residence in Idaho. He would then distribute the cocaine into the community through several mid-level dealers.
On one occasion, Jones travelled to Canada, purchased two kilos of cocaine, and shipped it tohimself in Idaho, following the same process. However, through the efforts of Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration, that shipment was seized at the U.S./Canadian border.
Following Jones’s indictment, investigators executed a search warrant on his home, uncovering evidence of a trafficking operation. Authorities seized one and a half kilograms of cocaine in brick form, an additional five one-ounce bundles of cocaine, and several psilocybin mushroom bars. They also discovered a dedicated workstation in his garage, complete with a scale, packaging material, and a heat sealer, used to prepare the drugs for distribution. Investigators also found sixteen illegal firearms strategically placed throughout the home.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the extensive collaborative work of the federal and local law enforcement agencies whose efforts led to Jones’s arrest and conviction. Attorney David Morse prosecuted this case.