The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on September 7, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, JUNIOR CANEELARIO RIVAS, a 26-year-old resident of Phoenix, Arizona area, appeared for sentencing. RIVAS was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 108 months

Special Assessment: $100

Supervised Release: 4 years

RIVAS was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

In 2006, during an undercover narcotics investigation, law enforcement learned that RIVAS was one of the Eastern Washington suppliers of methamphetamine. A cooperating individual ordered one pound of methamphetamine. On March 7, 2006, RIVAS arrived in Helena to deliver the pound of methamphetamine and was arrested.

After his arrest, RIVAS assisted law enforcement in the recovery of the methamphetamine from the vehicle. A forensic chemist confirmed that the substances possessed on March 7, 2006, did in fact contain methamphetamine.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that RIVAS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, RIVAS does has the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Helena Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

 

 

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