HASTINGS, Neb. -- A Nebraska man received 15 years in prison for a meth-related charge in Merrick County.

U.S. Attorney Steven Russell said 40-year-old Douglas Schmidt, of Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha on Wednesday. He was charged for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Schmidt will serve 180 months in prison along with a four-year term of supervised release after. There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Hastings Police Department did a traffic stop on April 20, 2021. The driver was Schmidt’s co-defendant, Raquel Bloom, while Schmidt was the passenger. Schmidt originally told officers that his name was “Doug Wilson” but was later identified as Schmidt.

Officials said Schmidt had an active warrant out of Merrick County and was taken into custody. Officers noticed the smell of marijuana coming from a backpack that was behind the driver’s seat.

Authorities said Bloom reported that the backpack was Schmidt’s. There was 426 grams of meth, 80 grams of marijuana, and several items of drug paraphernalia found inside the backpack. Bloom has pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy and has her sentencing on May 17, 2023.

This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Hastings Police Department.