An Illinois man has been sentenced to 14 to 16 years in prison after being caught with over 40 pounds of cocaine during a traffic stop in Nebraska last year.
48-year-old Artur Hysa, from Rolling Meadows—a suburb of Chicago—appeared before Lancaster County District Judge Matthew Mellor on Wednesday. Hysa expressed remorse in court, saying, “I know what I did, and I’m not proud of it. I know my mistake.”
The incident occurred on the afternoon of September 10, 2024, when a Lincoln Police officer with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Criminal Interdiction Unit pulled Hysa over on Interstate 80 near the 56th Street exit for minor traffic violations—speeding, following too closely, and failing to signal a lane change. Hysa declined a consent search, prompting a K9 unit to inspect the van. The dog alerted to drugs, leading to a search of the vehicle.
Officers discovered 20 kilos—or 44 pounds—of vacuum-sealed cocaine in the rear cargo area, along with a small rock of cocaine in the center console. The drugs were valued at approximately $700,000.
Hysa later pleaded no contest to possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.
At sentencing, Hysa’s attorney, Joe Lopez, emphasized his client’s struggle with addiction, calling him “a drug addict” and pointing out that Hysa had even used cocaine during transport. Lopez requested a lighter sentence of 5 to 8 years, noting Hysa’s military service in Albania and his efforts to improve himself during 10 months in jail.
Despite these arguments, Judge Mellor cited a prior drug conviction in Wyoming and expressed concern over a pattern of behavior. While acknowledging addiction as a factor, the judge stressed that Hysa still chose to traffic a large amount of cocaine.
The case also highlighted the work of Nebraska’s interdiction officers, whom Lopez called “some of the best” he’s seen in the nation.
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