Southeast Nebraska man packing meth in his pocket gets federal prison

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A southeast Nebraska man was sentenced to federal prison Thursday after getting caught with meth.

Nicholas Heitman of Fairbury got 15¾ years for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bazis also ordered the 38-year-old man for forfeit $4,580 to the federal government.

Heitman was pulled over in December 2022 because he was driving a vehicle with no license plates, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

But authorities said that was just the start of it.

Police discovered that he also did not have a driver’s license or the vehicle’s title and learned that he was wanted on suspicion of theft in Jefferson County.

Heitman resisted when the officer took him into custody, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Officers found a bag with 73.7 grams of meth in his pocket. Testing found that at least 72 grams of that was pure meth.

Heitman also had $4,580 in the center console, according to authorities.

While he was in jail, Heitman was recorded telling others on the phone about more meth and a gun he had hidden, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Heitman will spend five years on supervised release after prison.