Grand Island man sentenced to 10 years for meth distribution

LINCOLN, Neb. (KSNB) - A Grand Island man will spend time in federal prison on drug charges.

U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Raymond Moreno, 37, to 10 years in prison for one count of distribution of 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 10 years for one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Those sentences will be served concurrently.

After his sentence, Moreno will be placed on supervised release for five years. There’s no parole in the federal system.

According to U.S. Attorney Steven Russell, on March 9, 2021, investigators with the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) conducted a controlled purchase of meth from Moreno at a Grand Island grocery store parking lot. The purchased meth was sent to a lab for testing and the lab determined that the purchased substance was about 27.54 grams of meth, of which at least 25 grams of it was actual.

Then on March 22, 2021, TRIDENT investigators conducted a controlled purchase of meth from Moreno at a gas station parking lot in G.I. The purchased meth was again sent to a lab for testing and of the 56.32 grams of meth bought, 54 was actual meth.

This case was investigated by TRIDENT. TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.