Hays man sentenced in drug case

A 20-year-old Hays resident arrested in November on federal drug trafficking charges has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch announced today.

Keaton Molleker is one of seven arrested in the case and the first to be sentenced. He also was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

In May, Molleker pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing cocaine. In the plea, he admitted to selling cocaine to an undercover investigator on two occasions in June 2008.

Each of Molleker's co-defendants -- Franklin L. Graton, 20; Rusty "Ben" Marshall, 28; Rigoberto Rubios, 24; Thomas J. "T.J." Matheny, 20,;Dylan Motta, 21; and Angela Marie Alvarez, 25 -- have pled to charges against them.

Next to appear in federal court for sentencing are Motta, Alvarez and Matheny on Aug. 3.