Rhyne Enters Plea For Falls City Drug Deal
Sheriff says handgun and 304 grams of meth were found in purple Cadillac
By News Channel NebraskaOMAHA – A plea agreement has been reached involving a drug trafficking arrest at Falls City on Dec. 4.
Cody Rhyne, 31, entered pleas in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Prosecutors say Rhyne provided meth and a .22 caliber rifle to a confidential informant for $430 at the vacant parking lot of ShopKo in Falls City.
Federal attorneys told the court that Rhyne fled arrest in a Cadillac at speeds reaching 105 mph, but the purple Cadillac ran out of gas south of Humboldt. The defendant fled on foot and was apprehended with $430 in "buy money" in his pocket.
The Richardson County Sheriff’s Office says a 9 mm handgun and 304 grams of meth were found in the Cadillac.
Sheriff Rick Hardesty said the action took meth valued at $25,000 off of the streets.
US Attorney Patrick McGee said Rhyne had a total of six plastic bags containing meth.
McGee: “In a post-Miranda interview, Mr. Rhyne admitted that he sold 10 grams of methamphetamine and the 22 caliber rifle to the informant for $430. He also stated that after he was done selling to the informant, he was going to meet up with another party in Falls City to sell an ounce of methamphetamine.”
In exchange for the plea, federal prosecutors agree not to pursue additional charges for drug crimes alleged in discovery material given to Rhyne's lawyers. The state recommends a sentence of 144 months.
Without the plea agreement, Rhyne faced a maximum penalty of up to 40 years.