United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank today in Minneapolis sentenced a 52-year-old Stacy man who had been dealing methamphetamine out of his home for nearly 10 years to life in prison.

Jeffrey Mathew Jeanetta was convicted Jan. 17, 2007, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 18 pounds of methamphetamine, one count of distribution of 87.2 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possession of multiple firearms by a felon.

The jury deliberated for four hours before returning the guilty verdicts in the four-day trial. In the federal system, there is no parole.

"This sentence should send a strong message to those who use and sell this dangerous drug," said U.S. Attorney Rachel K. Paulose. "This office will continue to aggressively prosecute large-scale methamphetamine traffickers."

Methamphetamine is one of the most popular illegal drugs in Minnesota, according to the Hazelden Foundation. In 2006, methamphetamine addiction accounted for 8 percent of treatment admissions in the Twin Cities, and 480 methamphetamine-related hospital emergency department episodes were reported in the Twin Cities.

Court documents and trial evidence indicate that between 1998 and 2006, Jeanetta conspired with others to possess and distribute methamphetamine, and that he supplied much of the drug in and around Chisago County. Jeanetta obtained methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and California, and then sold it to users and dealers, some as young as 18.

In 2005, Jeanetta was arrested for his role in this criminal operation. He fled and was apprehended by the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force in 2006. When he was captured, Jeanetta was found in possession of two semi-automatic .45-caliber pistols.

Because Jeanetta had been convicted of felonies in state court in 1979 and 1995, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. This case was the result of a multi-jurisdiction investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Chisago County Sheriff's Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris S. Wilton and Tracy L. Perzel.