TOPEKA – A Saline County man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for trafficking in methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

33-year-old Shane Curtis Sheets, of New Cambria was sentenced to 140-months in federal prison. Sheets pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In his plea, he admitted to conspiring with co-defendants Lisandro Clara-Fernandez, Kevin Dale Ashcraft and Dennis Augustine to distribute methamphetamine in the Salina area.

The investigation began when the 1-35/I-70 Drug Task Force based in Salina developed information that Augustine and Ashcraft were operating a drug trafficking organization. Investigators learned that on Nov. 27, 2011, Ashcraft was meeting Clara-Fernandez on I-70 in Wabaunsee County, Kan. At the meeting approximately 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine was transferred to Ashcraft. Shortly afterwards, law enforcement officers arrested Ashcraft with the drugs.

Investigators learned that Ashcraft regularly received methamphetamine from Clara-Fernandez and that for every pound of methamphetamine he received he distributed a quarter pound to Sheets on credit. Sheets was distributing to other dealers and users down the line.

Co-defendant, Lisandro Clara-Fernandez was sentenced to 54-months, while Kevin Dale Ashcraft was sentenced to 94-months and Dennis Augustine was sentenced to 240 months.