Two With North Platte Ties Sentenced in Federal Court

North Platte Woman Sentenced to 31 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Nikki Guerra, age 46, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 26, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Guerra to a total of 31 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Guerra’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

On October 15, 2023, officers with the North Platte Police Department stopped a vehicle owned by Guerra as it entered North Platte for at traffic violation. From prior intel, officers suspected the vehicle had been involved in the distribution of narcotics and suspected narcotics were currently in the vehicle at the time of the stop.

Both Guerra and the driver were asked to step back to patrol cars while officers checked their identification, and a drug dog was deployed while the traffic stop was in progress. The dog alerted to the presence of narcotics and officers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle. In a XL men’s sized jacket pocket, officers located a pound of meth. The jacket was located on the floor of the passenger’s side seat where Guerra was sitting at the time of the stop.

The recovered meth was sent to the state crime lab where it was tested and confirmed to meth, with a purity of 95.7% for a total of 400 grams actual meth.

In sentencing Ms. Guerra, Judge Gerrard complimented the work she had done since being arrested to address her substance abuse issues. 

This case was investigated by the North Platte Police Department.

Former North Platte Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that John Hernandez, a/k/a “Hboy,” age 36, last of Lincoln, Nebraska, but formerly of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced September 26, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for distribution of 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Hernandez to a total of 145 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hernandez’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.

Beginning in 2021, the FBI and CODE Drug Task Force opened an investigation into drug trafficking in the North Platte, Nebraska area. In March of 2022, law enforcement set up a controlled buy over Facebook with a third party. In the course of the buy, Hernandez was observed approaching the buy location. He was also heard on the recorded audio associated with the buy. Through surveillance and debriefings, law enforcement learned that Hernandez was the source of the meth that was sold during the controlled buy.

Law enforcement knew Hernandez to be a major source of both meth and fentanyl in the North Platte area. Law enforcement had taken reports from other drug users, concerned about Hernandez selling drugs, particularly fentanyl to young people.

In February of 2023, law enforcement responded to Hernandez’s residence and observed an 11-year-old who appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance. In April of 2023, they recovered a Colorado runaway who had been staying at Hernandez’s house and reported using fentanyl there. The runaway was also in possession of paraphernalia frequently used to ingest fentanyl.

Hernandez’s house was the subject of a search warrant executed in May of 2023. During the execution of that warrant, Hernandez gave a Mirandized statement to officers, advising them that he was working to gather funds and planned to travel to Julesburg, Colorado to re-up his drug supply. He stated he planned on purchasing four ounces of meth and at least 100 fentanyl pills.

After being arrested in this case in Lincoln, Hernandez again gave a Mirandized statement to law enforcement. He identified himself as being the biggest meth dealer in North Platte. In talking about his various sources, Hernandez advised that he had purchased and sold at least 100 ounces of meth and approximately 2400 fentanyl pills while dealing in North Platte.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Bazis noted that Hernandez had a lengthy criminal history, which included domestic assault convictions. She surmised that Hernandez, when using drugs, is a violent and dangerous person. She also noted that investigation revealed multiple children were living in the home with Hernandez while he was dealing drugs, and he exposed them to hazardous, if not outright lethal, substances, concluding that “you have got to protect kids.”

This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Red Willow County Sheriff’s Office, Frontier County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Lincoln Police Department’s Safe Streets Taskforce also assisted in the arrest of Hernandez.