Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Methamphetamine as Repeat Offender

United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Zachary McElderry, age 35, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced November 14, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced McElderry to 250 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McElderry's release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.

On February 7, 2024, a confidential informant ordered three pounds of meth from McElderry. McElderry told the informant to meet at a QuikTrip in Omaha. At QuikTrip, DEA agents drove toward McElderry's vehicle to arrest him. McElderry avoided the DEA vehicles and escaped. He drove recklessly for more than three miles, driving the wrong way on a street and passing vehicles faster than the speed of traffic. McElderry parked his vehicle, which had a blown tire, near some apartment buildings. He was eventually arrested in a residential neighborhood. During McElderry's drive, a backpack with eight pounds of meth was thrown from the vehicle. Another two pounds of meth was found in the vehicle.

McElderry faced an enhanced mandatory minimum because of a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute meth in Douglas County District Court. The advisory guideline sentencing range was also enhanced because of reckless endangerment during flight from law enforcement.

This case was investigated by <_w3a_listitem listvalue="[CHOOSE AN AGENCY]" datavalue="[CHOOSE AN AGENCY]"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. " datavalue="the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. "><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Drug Enforcement Administration." datavalue="the Drug Enforcement Administration."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Federal Bureau of Investigation." datavalue="the Federal Bureau of Investigation."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Department of Homeland Security." datavalue="the Department of Homeland Security."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Homeland Security Investigations." datavalue="Homeland Security Investigations."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="Immigration and Customs Enforcement." datavalue="Immigration and Customs Enforcement."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Internal Revenue Service." datavalue="the Internal Revenue Service."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="IRS Criminal Investigations." datavalue="IRS Criminal Investigations."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force. " datavalue="the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force. "><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Lincoln Police Department." datavalue="the Lincoln Police Department."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Nebraska State Patrol." datavalue="the Nebraska State Patrol."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force" datavalue="the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force"><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Omaha Police Department." datavalue="the Omaha Police Department."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the Postal Inspection Service." datavalue="the Postal Inspection Service."><_w3a_listitem listvalue="the U.S. Secret Service." datavalue="the U.S. Secret Service.">the Drug Enforcement Administration.