Gresham Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Transporting Methamphetamine To Central Oregon

Eugene, Ore. — Dennis Richard DeChenne Jr., a 39-year-old resident of Gresham, Oregon, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Wednesday following his arrest for transporting methamphetamine in Deschutes County.

DeChenne was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison and will be subject to five years of supervised release.

According to court documents, an investigation by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team revealed that DeChenne was involved in transporting significant quantities of methamphetamine and heroin from the Portland area to Central Oregon for distribution. He would stay in a Bend, Oregon hotel for several days and enlist local individuals to sell the drugs on his behalf.

On August 19, 2020, CODE team members located DeChenne at a casino in southern Oregon. He was subsequently apprehended the following day by deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. During the arrest, law enforcement discovered two pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm in DeChenne’s vehicle.

On July 28, 2021, DeChenne was charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty to this charge on April 7, 2023.

The investigation into this case was conducted by the CODE team and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Prosecution was carried out by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.