Federal judge sentences two men to prison for selling meth in Wyoming

(trib.com) )7/06/15 - A federal judge sentenced two men to prison last week for selling methamphetamine in Wyoming, according to court documents.

U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on June 30 sentenced Steven Henry Kichelmann to 10 years in prison. Skavdahl also sentenced Casey Piburn to six years in prison.

According to an indictment filed Jan. 14 in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming, Kichelmann and Piburn conspired with other people to sell meth in Wyoming and elsewhere.

A judge sentenced a Lyman man in May to 10 years in prison in connection with the case. DCI agents orchestrated drug deals with Larry Shane Searle after a confidential informant told DCI she knew Searle was planning to pick up a large quantity of meth from Utah.

The confidential informant also told authorities she witnessed Piburn buying an ounce of meth from Searle for $1,800, according to court documents. The documents didn’t specify how Kichelmann was involved in the drug activity.

Kichelmann, 41, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was court ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and pay a $100 fine.

Piburn, 29, of Rock Springs, must serve five years of supervised release and pay a $300 fine.

The case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as part of a national effort to reduce the flow of illicit drugs and drug proceeds.

A nationwide network, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force was created to dismantle drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations. Its members also strive to find the people responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.