North Platte Man Sentenced on Drug and Firearm Charges

The United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that 40-year-old Jesse Shirley, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 23, 2022, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. 

United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Shirley to 12 months, plus 1 day, of imprisonment on Count I and 60 months imprisonment on Count II, consecutive to the sentence on Count I.   There is no parole in the federal system.  After his release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release.

On December 24, 2019, North Platte Police Department saw Shirley in the parking lot of a motel in North Platte.  The officer was aware that there were two arrest warrants for Shirley.

Shirley was on the passenger side of a vehicle. When directed to exit the vehicle, a bag of marijuana fell to the ground at Shirley's feet. Shirley was arrested on previous warrants. 

Officers seized the marijuana and searched the vehicle Shirley was in. Under the passenger seat, approximately 51 grams of methamphetamine were found. Also found under the same seat was a Springfield .40 handgun.    

This case was investigated by North Platte Police Department and CODE Task Force.  CODE is the Cooperative Operation for Drug Enforcement and includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Platte, Nebraska, Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Lexington, Nebraska, Police Department, and Dawson County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office.