Idaho man sentenced after meth bust involving 40 pounds
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JEROME — A 63-year-old Jerome County man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after investigators discovered approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine he intended to distribute in the Magic Valley.
Chris Lee Heck was sentenced after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney John C. Shirts.
Court records show investigators learned in March 2026 that Heck was trafficking methamphetamine in the Magic Valley.
Heck sold five pounds of methamphetamine to another person and was attempting to sell an additional two pounds when law enforcement arrested him.
A search of his Jerome residence uncovered another 35 pounds of methamphetamine that investigators say he intended to distribute into the community.
Heck faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years because of a previous federal drug trafficking conviction in North Dakota in 2012. That conviction resulted in a sentencing enhancement in the current case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Heck to serve 10 years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence.
Shirts credited the Idaho State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Twin Falls Special Investigations Unit and Jerome County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher A. Booker prosecuted the case.