Prison inmate sentenced for dealing meth from behind bars

June 28, 2022

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An inmate serving time for dealing methamphetamine was convicted was sentenced Monday to an additional 29 years behind bars for running a drug trafficking operation from behind bars.

Marco Antonio Avila, 37, was previously sentenced in 2018 to 26 years in prison for distributing large quantities of meth in the Rochester, Minnesota area. He was incarcerated in Victorville, California.

Authorities say Avila continued his operations in prison by recruiting and directing at least one person to purchase meth from a Mexico-based drug supplier to distribute to customers throughout southern Minnesota. A search discovered 30 separate one-pound packages of meth inside a Corvette stored in a Woodbury, Minnesota storage garage.

Avila pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.