Grand Island man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for drug charges
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- A 29-year-old Grand Island man was sentenced on Wednesday to a little over three years in prison for drug charges.
The U.S. Attorney said that Eduardo Aldaba-Montanez was sentenced to 40 months in prison after he was convicted for the distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.
After he completes his prison sentence, Aldaba-Montanez will serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Court documents said that on Apr. 28, 2021, employees from a day care reported child neglect to the Grand Island Police Department. This resulted in police going to a Grand Island residence to check on the welfare of the children.
GIPD spoke with the children’s mother, who said that she lived at the home with the father, Aldaba-Montanez, and several minor children.
While at the home, investigators found Aldaba-Montanez in the back yard.
He said he lived there with his girlfriend and the children and was not working. Investigators were allowed to walk through the home based on evidence of dirty and unsanitary conditions.
In the basement, identified as Aldaba-Montanez’s “man cave,” police saw containers with marijuana residue, marijuana pipes, and Ziplock baggies.
Investigators then obtained a search warrant for the home.
While executing the search warrant, investigators found 130 grams marijuana, 49.5 grams meth, 32 pipes, three scales, a box of sandwich bags, two marijuana grinders, containers with marijuana residue, money holders, a bb gun, a second small bag of meth residue, and two cell phones.
The meth was sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab, where a forensic scientist found there to be at least 46 grams of actual meth.
Both parents were arrested on felony drug and child neglect charges.
The three minor children were taken into emergency temporary custody by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
The Humane Society removed five dogs, two roosters, and two chickens from the property.
Police interviewed Aldaba-Montanez who admitted that he was “holding” the meth for someone else.
He said this person let him use some of the meth in exchange for him holding onto one to two ounces at a time.
He explained how the individual would package the drugs and give them to him to sell, and he would receive drugs or money as repayment.
Aldaba-Montanez admitted that he had delivered drugs a few times, acting as a “delivery boy” or “middleman” during drug deals.
He estimated that he had sold meth two to three times in the last two months.
This case was investigated by the GIPD and the Trident Task Force which is made up of officers from the GIPD, 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.