Nebraska Man Sentenced for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute

United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that 37-year-old Matthew Carpenter, of Holdrege, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard.

He was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for possession of 5 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, with intent to distribute. Following his prison term, Carpenter will serve five years on supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

On January 25, 2020, a Kearney Police Officer attempted a traffic stop on Carpenter. He initially pulled over and moments later, sped away through a trailer court.  The police officer caught up to the vehicle and Carpenter had left the car abandoned in the street with his passenger still sitting in the car. 

Officers were able to follow Carpenter’s foot tracks in the snow leading to a storage shed.  Inside the shed officers found him hiding.  Carpenter had a scale in his pocket and police found three bags of suspected methamphetamine just inches from where Carpenter had been crouched down hiding. 

The substance was later sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory where it was confirmed to be at least 52 grams of pure methamphetamine.

 

This case was investigated by the Kearney Police Department and the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.