A Sparks man convicted in a drug smuggling case involving more than a pound of meth will spend at least 10 years in prison. 

The Washoe County District Attorney's Office says John Herbaugh was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with parole eligibility after 10 years.

Prosecutors say Herbaugh denied having drugs in his truck after being pulled over for a traffic stop on I-80 near Robb Drive in February 2024, but during a subsequent search, deputies found one pound of meth, cocaine and money. 

ORIGINAL STORY: 

A jury has convicted 70-year-old John Herbaugh on multiple drug charges following a February 2024 traffic stop by the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office on Interstate 80 near Robb Drive.

According to the Washoe County District Attorney's Office, Herbaugh was pulled over for speeding by a deputy with the Northern Nevada Interdiction Task Force.

During the stop, Herbaugh denied having drugs, but a K9 unit conducted a free air sniff and detected narcotics.

A search of the truck revealed approximately one pound of methamphetamine in clear baggies inside a plastic take-out food bag on the passenger-side floorboard.

Deputies also found a green backpack in the back seat containing several empty baggies, four grams of cocaine, nearly $2,000 in cash, a piece of burnt foil with drug residue in a black trash bag, and a plastic weighing bin with meth residue.

Herbaugh was charged with Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Sell, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Michael Vieta-Kabell and heard by Judge Kathleen Drakulich.

Herbaugh's sentencing is scheduled for June 26.