Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison |
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U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Idaho
27 October 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BOISE – Abel Martin Farias, 30, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today to 26 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Farias’s sentence will run concurrent with a state sentence he is currently serving for forgery. Following his prison sentence, Farias will be placed on three years of supervised release. Farias was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2016 and entered his guilty plea on August 9, 2016.
According to court records, Farias was a passenger in a truck that was pulled over in Caldwell, Idaho, on February 9, 2016. The officer contacted the occupants of the truck and asked each for their identification. During the course of the stop, the officer noticed Farias repeatedly reach between the seats. When the officer walked to the passenger side of the truck to contact Farias, Farias opened his door and a padded gun case and collapsible baton fell out. Farias then identified himself to the officer with his real name. The officer discovered Farias had two outstanding warrants and arrested him. A canine team was called to the scene to perform an exterior sniff of the truck. The canine alerted on the truck and the truck was searched by officers. Inside, officers found a black bag containing methamphetamine, a lock box, and a key to the lock box. Inside the lock box, officers found a Glock, Model 22, .44 S&W caliber pistol, two additional magazines with ammunition, syringes, and a digital scale with white residue. The canine also alerted on a female passenger in the truck. The female admitted that Farias had given her the methamphetamine to hide inside of her as the truck was being pulled over. Farias admitted that the methamphetamine found inside the truck belonged to him.
This case was investigated by the Caldwell Police Department, Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.