California man gets 11 years in prison after being caught with meth in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A California man will spend over a decade in prison after authorities found him with 2 pounds of meth in York County.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 48-year-old Jason Smith was sentenced Thursday to 11 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute meth.

After his release from prison, Smith will serve a five-year term of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

On June 3, 2022, a Nebraska State Patrol trooper pulled over Smith for a traffic violation on Interstate 80 in York County.

During the traffic stop, the trooper became suspicious of Smith’s behavior and travel plans, the attorney’s office said.

Later on, a dog smelled drugs coming from inside the vehicle, which led to a search.

Inside, authorities found around $8,730 worth of meth in the trunk, the attorney’s office said.

Authorities also discovered a meth pipe and a pill bottle, containing about 4 grams of meth.

In total, 886.5 pounds of meth were tested at the patrol’s crime lab, where it was found to be 444.24 grams of pure meth.

At the time of the arrest, Smith was on supervised release for a meth conviction in Wisconsin.