Security News in Brief: Susanville Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Darrel Wayne Kratzberg, 46, of Susanville, was sentenced on Monday to 10 years and 10 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, federal and local law enforcement officers began an investigation into Kratzberg’s distribution of methamphetamine in and around Susanville, in February 2018. The investigation was part of a larger effort between local and federal law enforcement agencies to identify sources of drugs, especially opioids, within Lassen County. Over the course of two months, agents conducted five controlled buys of methamphetamine and one controlled buy of heroin from Kratzberg.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Susanville Police Department, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation-High Desert State Prison, and the Lassen County District Attorney’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly prosecuted the case.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.