A Nebraska man was sentenced Tuesday in Council Bluffs District Court, for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. 38-year old William Labenz, of Omaha, was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In late 2017, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force investigated a large drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting large quantities of methamphetamine to and around the western Iowa and eastern Nebraska areas.

On March 4, 2018, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and the driver, William Labenz, was arrested for driving under suspension. Inside the vehicle’s trunk one quarter pound of methamphetamine was located. On April 26, 2018, in a search of Labenz’s home, additional methamphetamine, scales and baggies were found. The investigation revealed Labentz was transporting methamphetamine for the drug trafficking organization.

The case was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, Omaha Police Department, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.