Cozad Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Drug Charges

United States Attorney Lesley Woods announced that Levi McAlevy, 37, of Cozad, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 17, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of distribution of at least 5 grams of actual methamphetamine and one count of distribution of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. McAlevy was convicted of both counts following an April 2026 four-day jury trial in Lincoln. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced McAlevy to a total of 360 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McAlevy's release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release.

McAlevy sold methamphetamine to a Confidential Informant (CI) working with the CODE drug task force on two occasions in 2024. The first buy occurred on September 19, 2024. McAlevy and the CI traveled to various locations before McAlevy sold the methamphetamine. The Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory confirmed the substance was at least 5.3 grams of actual methamphetamine. The second buy-which involved at least 2.8 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine-occurred on October 2, 2024. Again, McAlevy and the CI traveled to various locations before McAlevy sold the methamphetamine.

Although McAlevy sold smaller amounts of methamphetamine to the CI, the evidence at trial demonstrated that McAlevy was responsible for selling more than 25 kilograms of methamphetamine in central and western Nebraska. The evidence showed that McAlevy used firearms and threats to discourage others from notifying law enforcement about his drug dealing.

This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff's Office, Ogallala Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations.