Two major drug dealers have been sentenced to federal prison after first being busted by local law enforcement officers and then investigated, charged and tried by federal drug agencies and federal court.
Local law enforcement collaborated with agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, U.S. Marshal’s Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office to have the cases prosecuted in federal court.
According to a news release from the Price City Police Department, 44 year old Christoper T. Gill and 32 year old Tomas Albert Sanchez, both of Price, have been on the radar of the Carbon Metro Drug Task Force for more than two years.
Gill was arrested on January 6, 2015 for a variety of drug-related charges. He and another defendant were found to be in possession of 3.4 ounces of methamphetamine, 1.8 ounces of heroin, and nearly $3,000 in cash. The drugs and cash were seized by agents. Gill had 17 previous arrests involving theft, fraud and drug charges.
On January 16, 2016, a team that included officers from nearly every law-enforcement agency in the county zeroed in on the Sanchez residence in Price. Ultimately, nine ounces of methamphetamine, six ounces of heroin, three ounces of marijuana, two ounces of psilocybin mushrooms, ten vials of anabolic human steroids, nearly $15,000 in cash, ten firearms and other weapons and other items associated with drug trafficking were seized. Sanchez was booked into the Carbon County Jail on numerous drug and weapons charges.
The news release said Carbon Metro agents contacted the Salt Lake DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force, which reviewed the cases with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Carbon County Attorney’s Office then dismissed all local charges against the two men so the U.S. Attorney’s Office could take over the case.
As part of the ongoing joint investigation, another search warrant was issued for the Sanchez residence on June 23, 2016 involving agents from the DEA and ATF, who also had a federal arrest warrant for Sanchez. According to the news release, Sanchez was found to be in possession of a large sum of money and a shotgun.
Gill pleaded guilty to the federal charges and was sentenced last December to 90 months in prison. He is currently serving his term at the federal prison in Oxford, Wisconsin.
Sanchez also entered a guilty plea to his federal charges and was sentenced last week to 120 months. Sanchez requested he be allowed to serve his term at the federal prison near Phoenix, Arizona and the court concurred, but the final decision has not been made.
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