Federal Jury Convicts Star Man in Drug Distribution Case

Extra Health Safeguards Allowed Jury Trial to Proceed During COVID-19 Pandemic

BOISE – A federal jury sitting in Boise convicted Brooks Allan Case, 32, of Star, Idaho, of distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Case was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2019. The trial began on Monday, June 1, 2020, and concluded on Thursday afternoon when the jury returned their verdict.

In order to protect the health of the jurors, parties, and court staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. District Court consulted with an epidemiologist and ensured all persons involved with the trial practiced appropriate social distancing and wore face coverings. “This jury trial is one of the first, if not the first, held in the Ninth Circuit since the pandemic began,” said U.S. Attorney Bart Davis. “While the epidemic has altered our daily lives in many ways, I commend the jury in this case for fulfilling their civic duty and for their important role in securing the defendant’s right to a speedy and public trial. I also commend the United States District Court for their professional efforts in safely empaneling a jury and conducting trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho is committed to fulfilling our critical mission of maintaining public safety and upholding the rule of law amidst this public health crisis.”

Case’s charge stemmed from an investigation into the West Side Loma gang that spanned from October 2018 to October 2019. Investigators utilized a confidential informant who arranged to purchase methamphetamine from codefendant Vanessa Campos. When the informant went to purchase the methamphetamine from Campos on April 25, 2019, Campos did not have the drugs. A short while later, Case arrived and provided the methamphetamine to Campos, who in turn sold the methamphetamine to the informant.

Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2020, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. Distribution of five grams or more of pure methamphetamine is punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years and up to forty years in federal prison and at least four years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.

This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.

This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.