Press Release from U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Idaho
POCATELLO, Idaho — Jeremy Orvil Johnson, 37, of Blackfoot, was sentenced to 75 months and 23 days in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced December 20, 2024.
According to court records, on January 11, 2024, officers stopped Johnson for speeding and failing to display a license plate. Prior to the vehicle coming to a stop, officers observed Johnson throw an item from the vehicle onto the side of the highway. Officers located a sock in the snow on the side of the road. The sock contained 347 grams of fentanyl and 39.6 grams of methamphetamine.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Johnson to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2024.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation, which led to the charges in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in Eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to use the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 175 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 152 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 10,844 months (approximately 903.66 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 75.30 months (6.28 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 62.11 months (5.17 years) in federal prison.
