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The last of five defendants involved with the distribution of the highly addictive and dangerous drug methamphetamine throughout the Twin Cities was sentenced Thursday in federal court.

United States District Court Judge David Doty sentenced Miguel Angel Orosco-Verdusco, unknown age, Fitchburg, Wis., to 87 months in prison and five years supervised release Aug. 21 in Minneapolis. Orosco-Verdusco was indicted along with four other defendants on Oct. 10, 2007, and pleaded guilty on Jan. 25, 2008.

The other defendants were sentenced earlier this year. Richard James Gambino, 42, St. Paul, was sentenced May 27 to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

On May 29, Judge Doty sentenced Otilio Zunza, 31, Pine City, to 73 months in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and Jerome Alden Peltier, 27, Champlin to 84 months in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of aiding and abetting with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Krystal Rae Bergquist, 25, St. Paul, was sentenced on June 2 to five years of probation on one count of aiding and abetting with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) affidavit, during an investigation of Gambino’s residence on Sept. 5, 2007, officers observed Bergquist and Peltier enter the home, stay a few minutes and leave. Following a traffic stop of their vehicle, police located approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine on Bergquist’s person. On Sept. 7, 2007, search warrants were executed on Gambino’s person, his vehicle and his home. A search of his person revealed approximately $5,000 in cash. A search of his vehicle yielded a digital scale commonly used to weigh and distribute illegal narcotics, and officersfound methamphetamine residue on it. The search of Gambino’s residence yielded packaging commonly used to distribute narcotics.

A second search warrant was executed on Sept. 7 on Zunza’s Pine City residence. Officers recovered approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine, which was packaged in 1-ounce baggies. Orosco-Verdusco was later arrested while delivering 1 pound of methamphetamine.

“The DEA is extremely proud to have been partnered with the St. Paul Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and the Pine County Sheriff’s Office in this investigation,” said Dan Moren, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA’s Minneapolis District office.

This case was the result of an investigation by the DEA; the St. Paul Police Department; theRamsey County Sheriff’s Office; and the Pine County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Winter.