A 56-year-old Cheyenne man has been sentenced to five years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Steven Thomas Atwell was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal on Feb. 11.

Court records say detectives had a confidential informant buy $50 worth of heroin from Atwell on March 12 after learning that he'd been selling meth and heroin in the Cheyenne area.

Atwell and his girlfriend, Jodi Nelson, were arrested on April 9 after detectives conducting surveillance at the Rodeway Inn on Walker Road observed them exit a room with a bag and a purse and get into Atwell's car.

Knowing the two had active warrants, detectives made contact with the couple when they got home and found 7.2 grams of heroin in Atwell's bag, 14 grams of meth in Nelson's purse and 3.4 grams of cocaine in a backpack in Atwell's car.

Nelson later told police that the meth belonged to Atwell and she was knowingly holding it for him.

A subsequent search of the residence led to the seizure of suspected meth, numerous meth pipes and hypodermic needles, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun and numerous 9mm handgun rounds.

Suspected meth and a hypodermic needle containing suspected heroin were also found in the hotel room the two were seen exiting prior to their arrest.

Atwell will be on supervised release for three years once he's released from prison.

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