Two Lincoln men sentenced to prison over separate charges in relation to meth

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The same judge sentenced two men from Lincoln on separate charges in relation to meth on Friday.

Mario Martin Prieto-Guerrero, 36, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture. Alexi Rafael Puente, 23, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for charges of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Officials say both men will serve five years on a supervised release and both cases were investigated by the Lincoln Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force. Officers performed a search warrant at Prieto-Guerrero’s place in Lincoln on July 29, 2020, and “found a digital scale, packaging materials, and a .22 caliber semi-automatic gun he admitted belonged to him,” according to the release.

Prieto-Guerrero’s sentencing was heightened because of the gun. Further in the release, police “indicated that Prieto-Guerrero was responsible for the distribution of at least 150 grams of methamphetamine and at least 11 pounds of methamphetamine mixture between July of 2019 and June of 2020″ after receiving information.

Puente was pulled over on December 6, 2019, for a traffic violation and after giving permission to research the car, officers say there were hints of meth and marijuana. The person in the passenger seat told police that Puente gave her the meth to hide when he notice he was about to get pulled over after officers found two baggies totaling at least 84 grams of meth in her purse.

Officers say Puente told them that “it all belonged to him,” according to the release.