A trio of Boone County men were sentenced to a combined total of just under 50 years in federal prison in connection with a methamphetamine trafficking ring in Boone and Carroll counties.According to U.S. District Attorney Duane “Dak” Kees, Jason Alvarez of Harrison was sentenced to 24 years and four months in prison, while Walter Alvarez of Alpena received 10 years in prison and Daniel Perez-Lebron was sentenced to 15 years. All three men will be subject to five years of supervised release after their release from prison.
The men were arrested after the FBI served a search warrant at an Alpena residence on April 5 and located 140 gross pounds of methamphetamine. The home was owned by 58-year-old Walter Alvarez, who allowed his son, 34-year-old Jason Alvarez, and Perez-Lebron to receive large quantities of methamphetamine. Jason Alvarez and the 27-year-old Perez-Lebron would prepare the drugs for sale in Arkansas and Iowa.
Authorities say the methamphetamine would arrive concealed within special compartments inside the wheels in a compressed state, requiring the methamphetamine to be reconstituted in order to be sold and consumed. The reconstituting process required chemicals such as acetone, of which a large amount was located, along with the drugs.
All three men plead guilt to the charges against them on Aug. 7. Kees says 21 defendants arrested in connection with the trafficking ring have all been convicted, with the remainder to be sentenced in early 2020.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Fayetteville office, the 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Harrison Police Department, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas National Guard’s Counter-Drug Unit.
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