Lincoln man sentenced to 25 years in prison for selling stolen State Patrol drugs (2024)

LINCOLN — Calling out the sheer volume of the drugs involved and the breadth of the conspiracy, a federal judge Wednesday sentenced George Weaver Jr. to 25 years in prison for a scheme to sell drugs seized by law enforcement as evidence of crimes.

The case involved 19 pounds of cocaine, over 6 pounds of fentanyl and 154 pounds of marijuana, all taken from the Nebraska State Patrol, Senior U.S. District Judge John Gerrard said.

“There’s no question, Miss (Anna) Idigima was the inside person,” he said, referring to Weaver’s codefendant, who had worked as a State Patrol evidence technician. “But there’s little doubt who was the organizer of the conspiracy.”

Weaver had the contacts, set up the sales and the stash house, Gerrard said.

Prosecutors said Weaver did deals from his restaurant, Granny Weavs, and rented an apartment in Lincoln where he sold the drugs and collected money from customers.

In March 2023, Weaver pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 kilos or more of marijuana resulting in serious injury in exchange for prosecutors dropping three additional counts.

He faced a mandatory minimum of 20 years in federal prison for it.

Last July, Idigima, his former girlfriend, got 21 years and 10 months in prison for her part in the crime.

There is no parole in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors say the two conspired in 2021 to steal drugs being held in completed cases, awaiting destruction.

Idigima was fired that August after the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force discovered the plot amid an unprecedented spate of overdoses in the area. An audit of the State Patrol’s storage facility determined the amount of stolen drugs.

“The reputation of the Nebraska State Patrol obviously was tarnished in this case,” Gerrard said at Weaver’s sentencing Wednesday.

A number of crimes went unprosecuted as a result of the theft. But more importantly, he said, at least three people suffered life-threatening overdoses using the cocaine laced with fentanyl.

“Needless to say this was one of the more dangerous drug conspiracies that this court deals with,” the judge said.

And Gerrard sentenced Weaver to 25 years in federal prison, plus eight years of supervised release, and recommended that he get intensive drug treatment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Fullerton had asked for at least 30 years.

“I realize that’s a long time, but this is a defendant who caused significant harm to the victims ... and was responsible along with this co-defendant for unleashing approximately 224 pounds of various drugs, including cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin, as well as marijuana, in the Lincoln area,” she said.

Fullerton said that if the three known overdose victims tied specifically to the drugs hadn’t been treated with Narcan quickly to reverse the effects of the fentanyl, there was a substantial risk they could have died as a result of drugs provided to them by customers of Weaver.

The overdoses included a married couple in Nebraska City on Aug. 4, 2021, and a Lincoln man on Aug. 18, 2021.

The prosecutor said Weaver had told at least one person that he had mixed fentanyl in with cocaine “because he knew that it was very addictive and it would generate repeat customers.”

“Mr. Weaver’s main reason for doing this crime was to make money,” Fullerton said. “He no doubt was supporting his own drug habit, but he also did it to make money.”

Defense attorney Tregg Lunn took exception with the contention. Weaver, a 38-year-old who grew up in Lincoln, had been a successful business owner, he said.

Lunn said he met Weaver during the pandemic when his food truck, selling ribs and collard greens, parked in his neighborhood. Before that, Weaver’s face had been on candy machines around town raising money for Lincoln Public Schools, he said.

Lunn also took issue with the government’s contention Weaver had been the “kingpin.”

Gerrard interjected to ask who had contact with the individuals ultimately making the sales and who arranged the stash house where the drugs were kept?

Weaver admits he did and has taken responsibility for it, Lunn said. But he didn’t have access to the evidence locker without Idigima and had no sway over her, he said.

He cited the mitigation report he offered that described “the carnage” that was Weaver’s childhood. His father wasn’t there. His mother abandoned him, he said.

“It showed a terrible life that Mr. Weaver came out of,” Lunn said. “It also shows ... that he’s an addict.”

It’s not an excuse, but that’s where people start down this road, selling to support a habit, the defense attorney said.

Weaver apologized to the court and his family, saying this isn’t how he wanted it to be. He said since he’s been in jail he’s been making corrections to his life and recognizes this stemmed from his addiction.

“I let my pride get the best of me and didn’t ask for help. I didn’t reach out to anybody and got us to where we are today,” he said.

But, the father of 14 said, he still wants to make a difference in this community.

“That person that you read about, that’s not who I am today,” Weaver said. “I’m a more grown-up individual.”

He also apologized to the State Patrol for the embarrassment and to addicts who had injuries not just in his case but all over in the U.S.

“Overall, I just hope we can get this under control,” he said.