An Oregon man first busted in Morgan County in 2017 has now been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a massive cross-country marijuana conspiracy.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, 38-year-old Robert Fiels of City Falls, Oregon, was sentenced to 70 months behind bars by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo after being convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana.
Federal prosecutors say Fiels acted as a primary source of supply in a drug trafficking operation that moved marijuana and marijuana-based products across the country, including into Western New York.
The case has strong ties to Morgan County. On December 31st, 2017, local law enforcement and federal agents recovered approximately 1,000 pounds of marijuana from an RV stopped at Love’s Truck Stop in South Jacksonville. Authorities say the load belonged to Fiels and was being transported for distribution across the United States.
Investigators say the broader conspiracy stretched from late 2016 through mid-2019. During that time, Fiels allegedly trafficked roughly 1,800 pounds of marijuana to a single individual. Authorities also seized large amounts of suspected drug proceeds during multiple traffic stops and searches in Illinois, Indiana, and Oregon.
The Morgan County seizure was part of a multi-agency investigation that included Homeland Security Investigations, the Illinois State Police, the Oregon State Police, and the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, among others. The lengthy investigation and prosecution involved several local officers traveling across the country to testify and help investigate the case.
Several co-defendants in the case were previously convicted and sentenced.
Fiels will now serve just under six years in federal prison as a result of the investigation that first surfaced locally in Morgan County nearly nine years ago.