TF man sentenced in federal meth case

A Thompson Falls man was sentenced to prison last week after pleading guilty to distribution of meth and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Derek Alan Dembowski, 41, was sentenced to eight years in prison and four years of supervised release.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, the prosecution said in court records that during an undercover investigation, a confidential informant bought a half-ounce of meth from Dembowski on Jan. 21 in a monitored buy which Dembowski also possessed firearms and ammunition. The informant had purchased meth from Dembowski on two previous occasions. When arrested by a Sanders County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Feb. 12, Dembowski had a loaded revolver, ammunition and a small amount of meth. Dembowski admitted to law enforcement that he distributed meth and had possessed firearms.

Dembowski pleaded guilty in July. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided over the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime, according to the Department of Justice. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

For more information on PSN, visit http://www.justice.gov/psn.