Rochester Man Sentenced to Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) — Panh Thavong, 51, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Rochester area.

According to court documents, investigations into Thavong began in July 2022, shortly after he was released early from prison for previous controlled drug offences.

Until December 2022, Thavong was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Rochester metropolitan area.

Over the course of several months of investigation, law enforcement identified locations and vehicles that Thavong used to distribute the drugs. Officers executed search warrants at those locations and seized more than 34 kilograms of methamphetamine: 3.5 kilograms in a cache, 4.5 kilograms in a rental home, and 26 kilograms in a vehicle.

Thavong admitted as part of his guilty plea that the substances found were intended for distribution.

On July 20, 2023, Thavong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced Monday to 240 months, or 20 years, in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office, the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office, the Rochester Police Department and the Red Wing Police Department.

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