Ever Eleazar Murrieta-Nieblas: 276 pounds of marijuana in car = 8 to 48 year sentence

Don't know if Arizona's Ever Eleazar Murrieta-Nieblas tried to convince authorities that the marijuana in his possession was for medical purposes -- but it would have been a tough argument, since there was 276 pounds of it. The sheer heft likely helped convince a jury to convict him of two...

By Michael Roberts

December 2, 2010

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Don't know if Arizona's Ever Eleazar Murrieta-Nieblas tried to convince authorities that the marijuana in his possession was for medical purposes -- but it would have been a tough argument, since there was 276 pounds of it. The sheer heft likely helped convince a jury to convict him of two felony drug counts; he faces up to 48 years in prison. See a larger photo of the seized pot and get details from the Weld County District Attorney's Office below: Weld County District Attorney's Office release:

ARIZONA MAN CONVICTED IN WELD COUNTY OF DRUG POSSESSION, HAD APPROXIMATELY 276 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA IN HIS CAR

GREELEY, Colo. - After four hours of deliberation, a Weld County jury convicted an Arizona man of two felony drug counts. Ever Eleazar Murrieta-Nieblas (DOB 3/13/1973) of Tucson was convicted of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute (a class four felony) and Possession of Marijuana 8 ounces or More (a class five felony).

On December 12, 2009, an officer with the Colorado State Patrol pulled Murrieta-Nieblas over on Interstate 76 in Weld County for a lane usage violation. During the stop, the officer discovered four large duffle bags of marijuana in the vehicle. According to police reports, Murrieta-Nieblas was driving the narcotics from Arizona to Fort Morgan where he was to leave the vehicle unlocked in a motel parking lot overnight so another party could unload the drugs for further distribution.

The amount of marijuana seized during the stop exceeded 250 pounds.

Murrieta-Nieblas, who faces eight to 48 years in prison, will be sentenced on January 7, 2011, at 10:00 in Division 11.

Deputy District Attorney Anthea Carrasco represented the People of the State of Colorado in this case.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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