MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — A former public defender in Maricopa County has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after she attempted to buy drugs from an undercover agent, officials say.
Sally J. Nyemba, 33, was sentenced this week in court after she pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona.
Before her arrest in May 2020, the defendant allegedly negotiated deals to buy methamphetamine, marijuana and fentanyl pills with various drug traffickers by utilizing encrypted social media apps, court records show.
"Nyemba treated drug trafficking like a business, buying low and selling high to achieve the greatest profits," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Nyemba began communicating with someone who was an undercover federal agent and tried negotiating a deal to buy a couple of pounds of meth.
She eventually agreed to meet with the undercover agent in Phoenix and was arrested after she provided $3,600 for the drugs. Investigators reported finding about $14,000 in the defendant's vehicle, officials said.
Prosecutors further disputed the notion that Nyemba's crimes were the result of her being under an ex-boyfriend's negative influence.
"This is contrary to the evidence, which shows Nyemba was a confident, willing and eager participant, who maintained control of her business transactions with the drug trafficking organization," prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Records show the defendant was working as an attorney in downtown Phoenix before her arrest.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
