By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
This news story was updated at 3:21 p.m.
The former Toledo man described as the leader of a meth distribution ring that flooded the streets of Southwest Washington with the drug was sentenced today to 13 years and four months in prison.
Anthony Wayne Reisbeck, 43, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorneys Office describes him now as a Silver Lake resident.
The organization distributed pound quantities of methamphetamine per week in the Kelso-Longview area, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.
Reisbeck was arrested in February of last year after selling methamphetamine several months earlier to a person working in law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. A search of his car turned up $6,100 in currency, marijuana and 338 grams of meth, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.
Two of his so-called sub-dealers were each sentenced to 10 years in prison in recent weeks. They are Randy Scott Chalupa, 47, of Kelso and Michael J. Waddington, 24, of Silver Lake.
The last of the federally charged co-conspirators, Erica Deann Lewis, of Toledo, is set to be sentenced next month.
Following his arrest, Reisbeck continued to try to run the drug ring by making calls from jail, according to a news release this afternoon.
In his sentencing memo Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Backhus wrote: “Through reputation, intimidation and sheer force of will, Reisbeck was able to control his organization while in custody.”
Backhus noted Reisbeck controlled access to the source-supply, recruited and managed street level meth dealers, ordered others to collect drug debts for him and demanded dealers pay him a “tax” on the methamphetamine they sold.
His sentence includes five years of supervision after his release from prison.
•••
Read about:
“Man who took over after meth ring leader from Toledo was arrested gets 10 years, feds announce” from Friday Jan. 21, 2011 here
“Cowlitz County man gets 10 years for his role in meth ring with ties to Toledo” from Thursday Dec. 30, 2010 here
“To read the latest on Toledo meth trafficking suspects …” from Tuesday Aug. 10, 2010 here
“News Brief: Alleged meth ring defendants handed over to feds” from Wednesday June 9, 2010 here