By Brandi Makuski

A Plover man on Friday was sentenced to prison after being convicted of selling methamphetamine to an undercover narcotics officer multiple times last year.

Alex Melendez, 40, was convicted in April on three counts of manufacturing or delivering meth after a lengthy investigation by the Central Wisconsin Drug Task Force. Comprised partly of police in Stevens Point and Plover, as well as the Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office, the narcotics officers involved conducted a series of controlled buys from Melendez, according to the complaint.

A Plover narcotics officer oversaw more than $500 of controlled buys of meth and marijuana from Melendez at a residence on Rosalie Parkway on Aug. 9 and 11; then another $300 in drug purchases from Melendez’s residence on the 2500 block of Locust Drive. All the drug purchases were made by an undercover police officers.

While detectives were building a larger case against Melendez, he and another man were stopped by a Utah State Trooper on Aug. 31 while travelling east on I-80 from California to Utah. A search of the vehicle, which belonged to Melendez, uncovered two pounds each of marijuana and methamphetamine.

Melendez was later a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Plover police as it left a Harding Ave. hotel on Sept. 15. The driver had active warrants issued by the Wis. Rapids Police Dept., which prompted police to search the vehicle. Inside the car police found a digital scale, pipes used for smoking drugs, more than $300 in cash and a bag containing about three grams of meth.

Judge Thomas Flugaur sentenced Melendez to five years in prison, followed by five years on extended supervision, with 309 days of credit for time already served.