Security News: Federal Jury Convicts Stearns County Man for his Role in Meth Distribution Conspiracy

Source: United States Department of Justice News

MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury convicted a Stearns County man of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine while incarcerated, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

Following a five-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge David S. Doty, Robert Edward Maloney, Jr., 39, was convicted on April 8, 2022, of a single count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

According to the evidence presented at trial, in spring 2019, Maloney, while incarcerated in a Minnesota state prison, coordinated with others outside the prison to sell methamphetamine. While Maloney was incarcerated, he communicated with his co-conspirators via jail calls. Law enforcement agents obtained recordings of Maloney’s jail calls, which revealed Maloney’s direction and coordination, including arranging meetings and discussing methamphetamine prices and quantities. 

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Cannon River Drug & Violent Offender Task Force, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, and the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

This case was tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley M. Endicott and Joseph S. Teirab.