District of Montana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Honduran woman sentenced for transporting a Mexican national illegally in the U.S.Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A woman from Honduras who was found guilty of illegally reentering the country and transporting a Mexican national was sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Yolanda Ernestina Soto-Antunez, 41, was found guilty by a federal jury in June 2026 of being in the county illegally and transporting someone in the country illegally. Soto-Antunez was sentenced to time served (126 days) and remanded to the custody and control of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Soto-Antunez was illegally transporting a Mexican national in the U.S. and that she had illegally reentered the country in 2016.
A Phillips County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over Soto-Antunez on March 6, 2026, on Highway 2 near Malta for speeding. The deputy eventually requested translation help from two U.S. Border Patrol agents after he struggled to understand Soto-Antunez’s broken English. Law enforcement learned Soto-Antunez was in the county illegally from Honduras and the passenger in her car was in the country illegally from Mexico.
Through the course of their investigation, agents found $18,000 in a duffle bag that belonged to her passenger. He told agents he was traveling to Washington to borrow an additional $12,000 from a cousin for a total of $30,000 to pay for his sister to be transported illegally into the U.S.
Agents also learned Soto-Antunez had been previously deported from the U.S. in June 2012 and had reentered the country illegally in August 2016.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Phillip’s County Sheriff’s Office.
2 Mexican nationals sentenced for reentering the country and using forged documentsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Two men from Mexico who reentered the country illegally using forged documents were sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Isaias Martinez Araiza, 48, who pleaded guilty in May 2026, was sentenced to time served (78 days) on one count of possessing a fraudulent immigration document and one count of illegal reentry.
Omar Alfaro Aguilar, 41, who pleaded guilty in May 2026, was sentenced to time served (78 days) on one count of possessing a fraudulent immigration document and one count of illegal reentry.
Both defendants were remanded to the custody and control of Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Martinez and Alfaro, who had previously been deported, had returned to the United States and applied for access to the Montana Air National Guard base in Great Falls with forged immigration documents as part of a construction crew.
Black Eagle Construction in April 2026 had submitted paperwork to allow access for four men to work a construction site on the base. In verifying the paperwork, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations found inconsistencies in Martinez’s and Alfaro’s immigration documents, including forged lawful permanent residence cards.
Additionally, a background check on Martinez found a felony drug possession conviction in Texas from 2003, a misdemeanor DUI conviction from 2005 and a misdemeanor driving without a valid license from 2006. In 2017 he was deported from Brownsville, Texas, for being in the country illegally. A background check on Alfaro found that he had been deported in 2005 and 2018 from Freer, Texas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Red Lodge man sentenced to over 18 years in prison for drug, gun crimesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Red Lodge man who trafficking large amounts of meth into Montana and unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Chad Allen Bachmann, 46, who pleaded guilty in January 2026, was sentenced to 18 years and eight months in prison with five years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Both sentences will run concurrently.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Bachmann had smuggled roughly 20 pounds of methamphetamine into Montana from the Pacific Northwest, and that he unlawfully owned a handgun.
In early spring 2025, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information that Bachmann was possibly involved in trafficking meth. After surveillance, agents obtained a warrant for Bachmann’s storage unit and searched it on May 29, 2025. They found Bachmann inside.
Bachmann acknowledged after the search that he had trafficked “large amounts” of meth from Washington, Oregon, and California into Montana. He admitted to taking multiple trips to meet with his suppliers, two men he knew only as “Tony” and “Tiger.” In the storage unit, agents found 14 pounds of meth, $10,520 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and a drug ledger. In Bachmann’s truck, they found a .45 pistol. Bachmann has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
In June 2025, law enforcement learned Bachmann was continuing to sell meth and was planning to leave the state to renew his supply. Using a search warrant, Task Force members monitored Bachmann’s truck and tracked it travelling to Spokane, Washington, and back into Montana. West of Missoula, Montana Highway Patrol pulled Bachmann over and found 6 pounds of meth in his truck.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.
Lame Deer woman sentenced to 6 years in prison for sex trafficking a childRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Lame Deer woman who trafficked a child for sex was sentenced today to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Veronica Clarice Baker, 31, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of sex trafficking a minor.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in spring 2023, Baker met Dr. Usman Khan on a social media website for people interested in a commercial sex relationship. On April 9, 2023, Baker and Khan arranged a commercial sex date between Khan and an underage girl. Baker had known the girl for some time and knew she was a minor; the girl had, on occasion, watched Baker’s children.
On April 9, 2023, while Baker and Khan were texting about Baker providing the girl for a commercial sex date, Baker and the girl were in a hotel room in Billings. Baker sent Khan pictures of her and of the girl, and she and Khan discussed rates. Ultimately, Baker agreed to take the girl to Khan’s residence for the commercial sex date. Baker delivered the girl, and Khan had sex with her. Khan paid the girl for the encounter, and the girl provided some of the money to Baker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Garryowen man sentenced to 21 months for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Garryowen man who was found with 34 grams of meth after crashing his car was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Ricky Crawford Birdinground, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Birdinground was traveling along Highway 212 near Crow Agency when he crashed his vehicle into the guardrail. Law enforcement saw the disabled vehicle and watched as Birdinground tried to climb out the passenger side of the car.
After receiving conflicting information from Birdinground, officers determined that he had been driving and that he owned the vehicle. Law enforcement searched the car and found two baggies with 34 grams of methamphetamine, and in Birdinground’s pocket they found a glass pipe. Birdinground admitted to using meth everyday. Additionally, officers found messages on his phone about purchasing and dealing meth.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The BIA conducted the investigation.
Mexican citizen sentenced to prison for illegally reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Mexican national who was in the United States after having been convicted twice for illegal reentry was sentenced today to 10 months in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Rodolfo Jaime Yanez-Contreras, 43, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of reentry after having been removed from the United States.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Yanez-Contreras was in the country illegally after having been deported from Texas five times between 2000 and 2017.
Yanez-Contreras was detained by law enforcement on Dec. 23, 2025, during a search of the Bozeman residence where he was staying. The Missouri River Drug Task Force and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation were serving a search warrant and encountered Yanez-Contreras among those at the residence.
Law enforcement learned Yanez-Contreras had previously been removed from the United States in 2000, 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2017. With his last two removals, Yanez-Contreras was convicted of felony reentry.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Leaders of Chicago-based drug ring plead guilty to trafficking oxycodoneRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Two men from Indiana who helped illegally obtain oxycodone from Montana pharmacies have admitted to charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Jaylan Javier Wash, 23, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone. Wash faces 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Brandon Lavelle Winfrey, 32, who went by “Juice,” pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. Winfrey faces 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided at the change of plea and U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 10, 2026, in Missoula. Winfrey and Wash were released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Winfrey and Wash, along with a group of associates, used fake prescriptions to illegally obtain oxycodone. The Chicago-based outfit flew into Montana, visited various pharmacies across the state, and used falsified prescriptions to get oxycodone and other controlled substances. Several members of the group would give the oxycodone to Winfrey and Wash, who then distributed it. Winfrey and Wash paid for expenses and directed group members which pharmacies to hit and when to enter.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and DEA conducted the investigation.
Laurel man sentenced to 2 years in prison for illegal possession of guns, ammoRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Laurel man who illegally possessed firearms and ammunition was sentenced today to two years and two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Kenton Charles Maslen, 64, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that after serving a search warrant on Maslen’s property they found various types of ammunition, a shotgun and two revolvers.
On April 19, 2025, law enforcement was asked to assist with the eviction of Maslen from a residence in Laurel. During the search, law enforcement observed a white crystalline substance on a piece of glass in Maslen’s bedroom. Based on this discovery, law enforcement obtained a search warrant on the same day and discovered the following:
- The search in Maslen’s bedroom yielded a brown leather handgun holster and a green ammunition can. The can contained boxes of .22 caliber ammo and 12-gauge shotgun ammunition.
- In the driveway of Maslen’s residence was a fifth-wheel camper Maslen claimed as his own. During the search of the camper, a black 12-gauge shotgun was found in a case. The shotgun did not have a serial number, and it appeared that the barrel had been cut short to approximately 16 inches. The case also contained a loaded magazine for a Smith and Wesson pistol, more shotgun ammunition and 9mm ammunition.
- On the floor of the camper was a compartment that agents were able to open. They discovered another firearm, a North American Arms .17 caliber revolver.
- Law enforcement also searched the defendant’s truck and discovered a gun box containing a Ruger “Single Six” .22 caliber revolver.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The ATF, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Bozeman man sentenced to 6 years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Bozeman man who collected Child Sex Abuse Material (CSAM) was sentenced today to six years in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Jaden Douglas Batson, 24, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of receiving child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that over the course of two years Batson purchased and collected CSAM in the form of images and videos of children.
The case began in June 2023 when law enforcement received an online tip that Batson had paid $20 for illicit material that included the note, “For the cp gc.” Law enforcement continued to receive additional tips from online service providers that Batson was trading and uploading Child Sex Abuse Materials. That allowed officers to obtain multiple search warrants that they served on various electronic service accounts registered to Batson. A search warrant on Batson’s Bozeman residence served on April 9, 2025, and a subsequent search of his phone, turned up approximately 688 videos and 362 images. Batson admitted in an interview with law enforcement that he had traded CSAM on social media sites.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Bozeman Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Billings man sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking meth with a gunRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for selling meth, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also sentenced to five years for possessing a gun, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Dustin Lee Wolff, 42, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of using a dangerous weapon in a drug crime. His sentences for the two crimes will run consecutively.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Wolff was selling meth in the Billings area.
The case began in spring 2025 when the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Billings Police Department Street Crimes Unit learned that Wolff was possibly involved in drug trafficking.
Billings police pulled over Wolff on May 5, 2025, after he made an illegal U-turn and initially refused to stop. Officers questioned Wolff and he admitted to selling meth. They searched his truck and found just under a pound of meth, a stolen 9mm Glock pistol, a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol and $14,525 in cash, suspected to be proceeds from drug sales.
Nearly three weeks later, on May 22, 2025, Task Force agents watched Wolff sell drugs to a known drug addict. At this point, Wolff had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and so Task Force agents stopped and arrested him. In his truck, law enforcement found another pound of meth, a stolen 9mm Taurus pistol, a .223 caliber AR pistol, cash, and drug paraphernalia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Billings man pleads guilty to bank fraudRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who used a falsified bank loan to receive $50,000 admitted to charges Thursday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Jordan Andrew Hennessy, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. Hennessy faces up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and sentencing was set for a later date. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hennessy was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Hennessy, while employed by First Interstate Bank, falsified a loan application and awarded himself $50,000.
The incident began on March 11, 2022, when Hennessy was working as the commercial relationship manager for First Interstate Bank in Billings. From work, Hennessy submitted a commercial loan application for $100,000 under the name of his father’s business, Stillwater Group, LLC. In the application, Hennessy stated Stillwater Group would use the funds to develop real estate projects in Montana. He then opened a checking account, naming his father as a joint owner, on March 14, 2022.
Hennessy, as a First Interstate employee, was responsible for negotiating the counteroffer to his own loan request, which resulted in a $50,000 line of credit being issued to Stillwater Group. His position allowed him to be on both sides of the transaction, negotiating with himself. Once the $50,000 line of credit was funded, Hennessy transferred the Stillwater Group funds from the joint account he created with his father’s name into his personal checking account. Hennessy then used the funds to finance several transactions with an internet-based investment company and eventually defaulted on the $50,000 line of credit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau conducted the investigation.
Crow Agency man sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison for involuntary manslaughterRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Crow Agency man who while driving drunk caused a wreck that killed two people was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Curtiss Lee Schenderline, 39, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of involuntary manslaughter.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Schenderline was driving under the influence of alcohol, crashed his truck into another vehicle, and killed two people.
Schenderline was driving on Crow Mountain Road near Crow Agency on May 3, 2024, when he crossed the center line of the roadway and struck an oncoming vehicle with three people inside. The wreck killed the driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and one of the passengers, who died hours later at a hospital. Before he died, the passenger told emergency responders that he watched Schenderline swerve into their lane of traffic and hit them.
A second passenger in the car was thrown through the windshield during the wreck, leaving her with multiple fractures, lacerations, and contusions. She was life-flighted to a Billings hospital. When Schenderline arrived at the hospital, doctors noted that he had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. Blood tests confirmed he had alcohol in his system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey M. Hendricks prosecuted the case. The BIA and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
Billings woman sentenced to just under 3 years on drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A woman who received a package of fentanyl pills in the mail was sentenced Wednesday to two years and nine months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Makenna Rose Kramer, 27, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute and distributing fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Kramer was shipped a package with fentanyl pills that she planned to sell.
On June 12, 2024, officials obtained a search warrant to open a parcel addressed to Kramer and in it they found 108.75 grams of blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl. Law enforcement sealed up the package and placed it back in the mail, tracking it to Kramer’s Billings residence. Once it was delivered agents searched Kramer’s home and located the package.
Kramer spoke with authorities and granted permission for them to search her phone. She denied knowing what was in the package but her phone showed that she had been meticulously tracking the package’s shipment and discussing it with her roommate. Further messaging on her phone revealed Kramer had been selling fentanyl. Additionally, in a separate drug investigation, law enforcement had learned that Kramer was supplying another individual fentanyl.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Arizona man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An Arizona man who arranged for methamphetamine to be shipped to Billings was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Patrick Louis Gastelo, 47, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Gastelo arranged to receive a shipment of two pounds of methamphetamine at his girlfriend’s Billings home with the intent to sell it.
A USPS postal inspector flagged a suspicious package traveling from Calexico, California, to Billings on Nov. 7, 2022. Searching the parcel, he discovered two pounds of meth. The inspector repackaged the meth and sent the parcel onto its destination where law enforcement awaited its delivery.
At the house, the package was received by Lindsay Whitewolf. Agents searched the home and Whitewolf explained the package had been sent by Sergio Tagaban, who Gastelo had known in prison. Gastelo’s girlfriend, Angelena LaFave, confirmed that the parcel was intended for Gastelo, and that he and Tagaban were “brothers” in prison.
The women explained that the plan had been for Gastelo to work with Tagaban to arrange the shipment of the meth, which Whitewolf and LaFave would then help sell around Billings. Tagaban and LaFave were convicted of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine for their involvement. Whitewolf has pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine for her involvement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Vestal and Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
2 Billings men plead guilty to meth trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – Two men from Billings who trafficked methamphetamine around town have admitted to charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Rafael Gonzales Montanez, 61, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine earlier this month. Montanez faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
Aaron Wade Montoya, 60, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Montoya faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for the first count. He faces five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release for the second count.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for a later date. Montanez and Montoya remained detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Montanez and Montoya were dealing methamphetamine at various bars and casinos around Billings.
An agent with the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation received a tip in August 2024 that Montanez was selling methamphetamine in Billings and was often at the Reno Club. The agent, working undercover, was put in touch with Montanez, who called the agent offering to sell him an ounce of methamphetamine. The two men eventually met and over the next month the agent continued to buy increasing amounts of methamphetamine from Montanez.
After a buy in September 2024, law enforcement followed Montanez to a trailer in the Cherry Creek mobile home park in the Billings Heights, which they learned belonged to Montoya, who was on probation from an earlier drug conviction. At his probation-mandated urine test in November 2024, Montoya tested positive for methamphetamine and law enforcement received a warrant to search his home at Cherry Creek. Officers found a bag of bulk methamphetamine, three firearms, ammunition, and cash. Agents arrested him and in a subsequent interview Montoya admitted to dealing methamphetamine and that he got two of his firearms in a drug trade.
Meanwhile, Montanez reached out to the undercover DCI agent and wanted to introduce him to his new supplier because his old one had been arrested. On May 29, 2025, ATF agents arrested Montanez, who admitted he had sold methamphetamine that had been supplied to him by Montoya.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
Bozeman man sentenced to 14 months for threatening elected state, federal officialsRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Bozeman man who threatened elected officials online and at the state capitol was sentenced today to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Daniel Alan Verbanec, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of threatening to murder or assault a United States official.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Verbanec made aggressive, threatening online statements at elected representatives in Washington, D.C., and in Montana.
A special agent with the United States Capitol Police contacted the FBI in January 2025 to report that a man in Bozeman had made a number of violent threats on the social media platform X directed at Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
The FBI contacted Verbanec, who told agents that the government was trying to kidnap and kill his family, including him. He also told agents that the FBI had contacted him before when he threatened then U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and that the Secret Service had contacted him after Verbanec had threatened Pres. Joe Biden.
Months later, in October 2025, Verbanec traveled to Helena, arriving at the state capitol building and demanding to speak to Gov. Greg Gianforte. Verbanec told Gianforte’s staff that the governor was trying to kill him and his family and that the governor was responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk. He also told staff that he had made threats toward the governor before. Verbanec then told staff that he would not leave the building unless he spoke either to the governor, was arrested, or was forced out by police.
At that point, Verbanec learned the governor was in Bozeman attending a summit and announced that he planned to travel to Bozeman to confront him. Officers then escorted Verbanec from the building and contacted the governor’s security detail.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
Billings man sentenced to 16 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a felony strangulation conviction was sentenced today to 16 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Patrick Hunter Shaver, 34, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Shaver, a convicted felon prohibited from owning a firearm, was found at work with a handgun in his vehicle.
Shaver was convicted in March 2025 in Yellowstone County of felony strangulation of a partner or family member. As part of his conviction, he’s prohibited from possessing a firearm. On July 31, 2025, Billings police received a tip that a man named Pat Shaver had a gun. Police followed up the next day, contacting Shaver at work and asking him about the firearm. He acknowledged to the officers that he had a .32 caliber Beretta Tomcat in his vehicle along with seven rounds of ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
Helena man sentenced to 15 years for selling meth while armed with a handgunRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Helena man who was selling methamphetamine and using a handgun for protection was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Kyle Andrew Bailey, 43, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Bailey was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl while carrying a small handgun for personal protection.
Bailey was riding in a car that was pulled over by law enforcement on July 11, 2025, and refused to give his name. Deputies ultimately identified him and learned he had three warrants for his arrest; Bailey ran from the car and was quickly caught. Upon his arrest, deputies discovered Bailey was carrying a .22 caliber handgun, two bags containing 50 fentanyl pills, and a bag of meth. Bailey told deputies he had more meth in the car. Deputies found three bags of meth, 17 zip lock bags, a digital scale, four syringes, and five cell phones. In all, Bailey had 98 grams of meth and 6.7 grams of fentanyl.
Bailey told law enforcement he had stolen a pound of meth in Billings and was selling it to survive while living out of his car. He bought the handgun with a couple grams of meth and said he felt safer with it because “no one’s going to mess with you if you have a gun,” describing it as his security blanket.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force including the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Helena Police Department, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and the DEA conducted the investigation.
Great Falls man sentenced to 12 years in prison for trafficking over 50 pounds of methRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who had 30 pounds of meth hidden in his home and was pulled over with another 25 pounds of meth in his car was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Cody Allen Davidson, 39, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Davidson and his partner, Diane Walters, had been trafficking methamphetamine and that searches of Davidson’s home and car turned up bundles of meth, cash, and firearms.
The case began in May 2025 when a source notified the DEA that Davidson had recently received a resupply of methamphetamine that was stored at his Great Falls residence. Using that information, law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched Davidson’s home. He was there when officers arrived and agreed to show them “everything,” opening up a gun safe that held roughly 30 pounds of meth, four guns and $21,479 in cash. Davidson told authorities the cash was from selling about 7 pounds of meth and that he’d been trafficking it for the last six to eight months.
Two months later, on July 10, 2025, Davidson’s car was spotted traveling north of Las Vegas. Law enforcement suspected he was on a drug resupply run and put out an alert for the vehicle. The next day, law enforcement in Idaho Falls, Idaho, spotted the car and pulled it over – Walters was driving and Davidson was the passenger. Hidden in the car, officers found roughly 25 pounds of meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The DEA and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
Arizona man sentenced to 4 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl to MontanaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – An Arizona man who was part of a drug trafficking organizing that brought fentanyl into Montana was sentenced today to four years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
D’Andre Dontae Glass, 36, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Glass was part of a drug trafficking organization and oversaw the delivery of packages of fentanyl to Montana and two other western states.
Between February 2023 and March 2025 Gerad Nigel Punch led a drug trafficking organization that supplied fentanyl from Phoenix to local dealers in Texas, Washington, and Montana. In 2023 and 2024, Glass worked for the organization and mailed packages with fentanyl to the three states. He also visited Montana and the other two states to oversee the package deliveries, and to distribute the fentanyl to local dealers.
While working for the organization, Glass possessed more than 400 grams of fentanyl that he intended to distribute. During the investigation of the organization, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of fentanyl from its members.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Montana comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The Southwest Montana Drug Task Force and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
Lakeside man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for stealing construction equipmentRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Lakeside man who stole over $180,000 worth of construction equipment from a Kalispell business and trucked it to Idaho was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Eric Brandon Wright, 43, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Wright stole $181,890 worth of construction equipment from RDO Rental Equipment in Kalispell.
Over the night of Aug. 23 and into the early morning of Aug. 24, 2023, Wright found his way into RDO and stole various pieces of digging and mulching equipment, along with a Towmaster trailer. Wright then used the trailer, hooking it up to an employee’s vehicle, to haul the equipment from the business. The employee’s vehicle was found a few days later, but a motorized wheelchair that had been kept in it was missing.
Law enforcement received a tip on Jan. 19, 2024, that Wright was selling construction equipment on Facebook, which they tracked to a storage facility in Lewiston, Idaho. Detectives spoke with the facility’s owner, who confirmed Wright had been renting storage space there. On Jan. 30, 2024, officers arrested Wright on an unrelated outstanding warrant and questioned him about the RDO theft. Wright denied stealing the equipment, saying he bought it from someone in Missoula.
Using cell phone data and surveillance video, investigators linked Wright’s truck to RDO the night of the theft. Responding to a report of a separate theft, officers were called to the residence of Wright’s uncle in Dalton Gardens, Idaho, where they discovered the missing Towmaster trailer. They also noticed the uncle using an electric wheelchair similar to the one stolen from the employee’s vehicle.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Kalispell Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation.
Billings man sentenced to 11 years for trafficking methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was caught with 10 pounds of methamphetamine while travelling from Wyoming was sentenced Wednesday to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Nathan Wilnau, 51, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Wilnau, working with a partner, was helping bring methamphetamine from California via Wyoming into Billings.
In June 2023, law enforcement learned Wilnau and Christina Lavon Hill were selling illegal drugs in Billings. Agents learned Hill was sending money to a source in San Francisco, who then sent packages of meth to Cody, Wyoming, which Wilnau would go and retrieve.
On his last trip, Wilnau drove to Cody, picked up the package, and was heading back to Billings when he was pulled over. Searching the vehicle, agents found over 10 pounds of meth. They also learned that the source in Cody had previously received three to four packages of meth for Hill and Wilnau.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
Poplar man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for sexual abuse, machete attackRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Poplar man who was indicted on two unrelated charges was sentenced today to 18 months followed by five years of supervised release for the first charge, and to 26 months followed by three years of supervised release for the second, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Eithan Toby McKay, 22, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and, in a separate indictment, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that when McKay was 19, he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl and got her pregnant. The following year, McKay attacked his brother with a machete, leaving him with deep lacerations.
In September 2024, law enforcement received information about a young teenage girl who was pregnant. In an interview with investigators, the girl identified McKay as the father and said the two met on social media and started hanging out at the girl’s house in Poplar. They engaged in a sexual relationship that resulted in the girl getting pregnant when she was 13 and McKay was 19.
In a separate incident, McKay showed up to a Brockton residence with a machete and attacked his brother. A 911 call shortly after 2 a.m. on March 4, 2025, reported the incident, with the caller telling the dispatcher, “Someone just hit my son over the head with a machete and he’s bleeding.” When asked by the operator is the attacker was still in the house, the caller said, “He just walked in the living room. He’s drunk. It’s Eithan McKay.”
The victim had serious injuries to his head, arm, and shoulder and was bleeding heavily. The man told responders that his brother Eithan had slashed him with the machete because he had told Eithan he wanted him to leave.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice conducted the investigation.
Missoula man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Missoula man who had collected and stored over 23,000 images and 600 videos of child sex abuse materials (CSAM) admitted to charges Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Jamie T. Felde, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. Felde faces five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, five years to a lifetime of supervised release, a $35,000 special assessment, an additional $5,000 special assessment, and another $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2026. Felde remained in custody pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Felde had sought out and collected CSAM in the form of images and videos of young children, storing them on various electronics in his Missoula apartment.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received several tips between 2021 and 2023 regarding an individual who was uploading CSAM to Microsoft’s Bing Image. The center forwarded those tips onto law enforcement officers, who obtained subpoenas and search warrants and learned Felde was the individual uploading the material.
On May 23, 2024, officers served a search warrant at Felde’s Missoula apartment and found “a tranche of electronics,” including several phones, USB drives, hard drives, and computer towers. A forensic analysis of the devices showed Felde had collected 23,716 images and 643 videos of CSAM.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney is prosecuting the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation.
Harlem man sentenced to 3 years in prison for drunk driving deathRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Harlem man who rolled his car and killed a passenger while drunkenly fleeing from police was sentenced today to 34 months and 15 days in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Dezmond Joseph Dillon, 20, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of involuntary manslaughter.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that while driving drunk, Dillon led police on a chase that ended when he rolled his car, killing one of his passengers.
The incident began when Fort Belknap Tribal Police were notified on July 11, 2024, that a car was seen driving recklessly at over 100 mph in Harlem. Dillon was later identified as the driver. When officers responded to the call, Dillon took off, refusing to yield as police pursued him across town. Dillon pulled down a dirt road, struck a pole and then turned the car around. He returned back down the dirt road, lost control of the car, and rolled down an embankment.
When law enforcement arrived, they found Dillon and two of his passengers severely injured from the wreck. A third passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. One of the passengers was later interviewed about the wreck and she told investigators that Dillon was already drunk when he picked her up. When the police tried to pull the vehicle over, she remembered begging Dillon to stop and let her out. After the wreck, when the car had come to a stop, she was lying underneath the passenger who had been killed.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Tribal Police conducted the investigation.
Great Falls pair sentenced to prison for stealing neighbor’s checksRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man and woman who stole checks from their next-door neighbor and cashed them to themselves were sentenced to prison time today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Andrew Dwayne Johnson, 49, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for one count of wire fraud, and to two years for one count of aggravated identity theft with three years of supervised release.
Carrie Jeanine Johnson, 46, was sentenced to a year and three months in prison for one count of wire fraud, and to two years for one count of aggravated identity theft with three years of supervised release.
The two were also ordered to pay $17,636.40 in restitution. Their two prison sentences will run consecutively. The two pleaded guilty in January 2026 to the charges.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that siblings Andrew Johnson and Carrie Johnson stole checks from their neighbor, forged the neighbor’s signature, and cashed the checks for themselves.
Law enforcement in Great Falls had launched an investigation into reports of false checks being used from a Wells Fargo account and were eventually able to link them to Carrie Johnson. When law enforcement asked the account owner if she knew Carrie Johnson, the woman responded that she did – Johnson was her next-door neighbor.
On Aug. 31, 2023, the neighbor had been taken by ambulance from her house after a medical emergency and had not returned. She told investigators she had left her checkbook on the couch. When officers went to her residence, the checkbook was gone and the house was unlocked. Carrie Johnson later admitted to taking and using the neighbor’s checks without her permission. Similarly, Andrew Johnson cashed one of the neighbor’s checks to himself for $1,400. A search warrant served on Andrew Johnson’s room turned up evidence of the stolen checks.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
Billings man sentenced to 10 years for firing handgun after attempting to rob gas stationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who fired his handgun while pointing it at the sky after trying to rob a convenience store was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Thyssen River Grable, 21, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Grable attempted to rob several cases of BuzzBallz, a brand of alcohol, from a Billings convenience store. Grable then fired his handgun in an effort to dissuade his pursuers from chasing him.
Thyssen Grable and a companion walked into a Circle K convenience store on Grand Avenue in Billings on Jan. 20, 2025. After spending time walking around the aisles, they grabbed four cases of BuzzBallz and ran out the door. The store clerk tried to stop the pair, chasing them outside and telling them he was going to call the police. Grable retorted, “Do you wanna get shot?” and the clerk ducked back into the store.
Grable and his companion jumped into a van with two others and told the driver to go. At that moment a security guard pulled his car in front of the van, blocking its exit from the parking lot. The security guard got out and told the driver to shut off the van. Grable urged the driver to pull away, but the driver shut off the engine. Grable and his companion jumped out and ran off down the road. As he ran, Grable fired several shots from a Beretta 9mm handgun into the air to stop the security guard from chasing him.
Billings police officers arrived shortly after and searched the area, finding a number of spent 9mm shell casings. A call from a Montana State University Billings police officer alerted the BPD officers that he’d found Grable and his companion on Alderson Avenue and the two were arrested. Sometime later a neighbor called BPD to say they’d found a Beretta handgun in their yard.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Mexican national sentenced to eight months after illegally reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Mexican national living in Bozeman who had illegally reentered the country was sentenced today to eight months incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Antonio Alfaro-Ramirez, 41, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of illegal reentry to the United States after removal.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Ramirez, after having been removed from the country three times previously, had again illegally reentered the U.S.
During an execution of a search warrant by the Missouri River Drug Task Force at a Bozeman apartment on Dec. 23, 2025, law enforcement officers found Ramirez. Accompanying the taskforce was a Border Patrol agent, who interviewed Ramirez as part of an immigration inspection. Ramirez confirmed his identity and acknowledged he had returned to the U.S. without proper documentation.
Ramirez was twice apprehended in Laredo, Texas, for illegally crossing into the U.S., first in 2006 and again in 2009. He was then apprehended in Eagle Pass, Texas, and deported again to Mexico in March 2020. December marked his fourth arrest for illegally entering the U.S.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
Box Elder man sentenced to a year of prison for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man who was involved in a bar shooting and later found with notable amounts of illegal drugs in his home was sentenced today to 13 months, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Harold Blake Whitford, Sr., 57, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Whitford was keeping notable quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in his home.
In the early hours of March 28, 2024, law enforcement was called to D and L Bar on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation after patrons reported a shooting. Surveillance video showed the two gunmen arrive at the bar and then leave in a pickup truck, which law enforcement later found parked in front of Whitford’s house.
After confirming the pickup was the same used in the shooting, officers obtained a warrant and searched Whitford’s residence where they found 489 fentanyl pills in a plastic baggie; 27 small baggies, each with 10 fentanyl pills; a baggie with powder; and two baggies with meth. Officers also found a scale, a rifle, and a piece of paper listing quantities and prices. A week later, Whitford was arrested on an outstanding warrant in front of his house. In his shirt pocket officers found more fentanyl pills. In total, Whitford had 40.1 grams of meth, 79.9 grams of fentanyl, and 32.6 grams of cocaine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
Bainville woman ordered to repay over $8,000 for cashing fake post office money ordersRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Bainville woman who used a system of recording fake USPS money orders that she then cashed out to herself was sentenced today to time-served, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. She was also ordered to repay USPS the amount of money she misappropriated.
Danielle Marie Harms, 38, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of misappropriation of postal funds.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Harms stole more than $8,000 from the U.S. Postal Service as an employee of the Bainville Post Office by issuing fake money orders and then cashing them.
Harms began working for the post office in Bainville in February 2023. Bainville is one of the country’s few remaining “manual” post offices, meaning money orders issued by the office are written down by hand on paper for USPS transaction records. If the money order is purchased by credit or debit card a record of the purchase is also submitted electronically to the bank after it’s been written down on paper.
After learning the system, Harms began issuing money orders to herself and her boyfriend, recording them by hand as card transactions but never submitting the information to the bank. This allowed her to cash the money order while keeping the books balanced within the post office. USPS employs a service that regularly checks the postal service’s transactions with the bank to ensure the figures reconcile. Running one of these checks in August 2024, the service found a discrepancy of $8,235.91.
This launched an investigation and in January 2025 a special agent with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General interviewed Harms, who eventually admitted to faking and cashing 34 money orders. She also admitted to taking cash from the post office till.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
Billings man pleads guilty to drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was traveling through Montana with five pounds of meth admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Jason Daniel Schauer, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Schauer faces 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Schauer remained on pretrial release pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Schauer was moving methamphetamine from Arizona to Montana.
Schauer and a companion were pulled over outside Livingston on July 3, 2025, after a Montana Highway Patrol trooper watched the pair “tear through a (gas station) parking lot at a high rate of speed.” Troopers grew suspicious that Schauer might be trafficking drugs after seeing drug paraphernalia in the car, which prompted them to seek a search warrant.
Searching the vehicle, troopers found five cellophane-wrapped bundles under the rear set of the car, weighing roughly five pounds total. DEA testing later revealed it was 2,202 grams of meth. When interviewed by the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation Schauer told agents he had paid $4,500 for the meth and that he purchased it in Phoenix from “cartel associated” individuals.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Montana Highway Patrol, Montana Department of Criminal Investigation and the DEA conducted the investigation.
Billings woman sentenced to over 9 years in prison for drug traffickingRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who trafficked drugs from Denver to Billings was sentenced today to 117 months in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Beth Marie Jones, 63, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Jones was travelling regularly to Denver to pick up fentanyl and methamphetamine, which she then sold in the Billings area.
The case against Jones began when law enforcement in Billings learned from a source in April 2024 that she was selling meth and fentanyl in the area. The source indicated Jones had travelled several times to Denver to pick up the drugs.
Law enforcement obtained a warrant to monitor Jones’s cell phone locations and learned she was in the Denver area. On May 3, 2024, as Jones travelled back to Montana, law enforcement pulled her over in Big Horn County and searched her car. Officers found 28.2 grams of meth, 205.9 grams of fentanyl, and 11.35 grams of fentanyl powder. On the front seat was a firearm, which Jones said was for protection.
Speaking to agents roadside, Jones said she went to Denver to pick up the drugs, later admitting in an interview that she had travelled there multiple times to get the illicit material. In a search of Jones’s phone, agents learned she was purchasing 3,000 fentanyl pills and a half-ounce of meth. Other messages on her phone indicated she was also selling fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA conducted the investigation.
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Billings man sentenced to prison for trafficking drugsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who trafficked drugs while working as a cab driver was sentenced today to 42 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Sammy Joe Nava, 51, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute, and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that while working as a driver for Yellow Cab, Nava and a partner were selling meth around Billings.
Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, law enforcement learned in June 2022 that Yellow Cab employees known as “Sam” and “Dave” were selling meth across town. Sam provided the meth and Dave was a middleman who helped with the buys, according to the informant. Agents later identified “Sam” as Sammy Joe Nava.
Between June 13 and June 29, 2022, law enforcement set up four different buys using the informant, who purchased increasing amounts of meth from the two men. The informant would contact Dave, later identified as David Lee Owen, who would drive the informant to Nava’s location. Owen would take the informant’s money, go inside and return with the meth.
The informant started by purchasing 27.8 grams of meth, then 28.5 grams, and then 111.9 grams. On the final buy, the informant set up a purchase for a pound of meth, roughly 445 grams. Agents moved in and arrested Owen at the Yellow Cab offices where he was found with the pound of meth. Nava was arrested afterward.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the DEA conducted the investigation.
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Billings man sentenced to over 11 years in prison after trying to buy 35 pounds of methRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who tried to buy a suitcase full of meth at a Laurel truck stop was sentenced today to 135 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Derrick Chandler Lucero, 48, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Lucero attempted to purchase 35 pounds of meth from a courier with ties to a Mexican drug operation.
The case against Lucero started in Omaha, Nebraska, when Omaha police officers and agents with the DEA intercepted a suspected drug courier at a bus station on July 22, 2025. The courier told law enforcement he was travelling from California to Montana – later admitting he had 35 pounds of meth in his bags. He then offered to help law enforcement deliver the meth as part of a controlled buy to catch the courier’s connection. Agents travelled with the courier to Billings along with the 35 pounds of meth, which was later tested to verify its legitimacy. They then swapped out 34 of the 35 bundles with white ice melt that they wrapped the same way as the original packages.
Early on July 23, 2025, agents and the courier created a plan for delivery. Contacting his handlers in Mexico, the courier received instructions to contact the buyer by phone and determine a location to make the exchange. His handlers told him he was to collect $12,500. The buyer, later identified as Lucero, contacted the courier at 12:02 a.m. and told him they’d meet at the TA Truck Stop in Laurel. Asked for a description of his vehicle, Lucero responded, “I’m in a green and tan Ford Expedition.”
Law enforcement started surveillance on the TA Truck Stop, eventually spotting the Expedition. The courier approached the Expedition with the suitcase holding the meth and ice melt. He opened the rear passenger door and set the suitcase inside. Lucero threw a stack of $100 bills on the back seat for the courier, who took the money, closed the car door and gave Lucero a thumbs up, indicating to the arrest teams that the transaction was complete. The agents moved in and arrested Lucero.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Montana comprises agents and officers from numerous federal agencies and drug task forces throughout the state, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation as part of the HSTF.
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Poplar man sentenced to 20 years for aggravated sexual assaultRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Poplar man who strangled and sexually assaulted a teenage girl was sentenced today to 120 months in prison on one count of aggravated sexual abuse and 120 months on one count of commission of a sex offense by a registered sex offender. The two sentences will be served consecutively. He was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Arthur Dion Longee, 38, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to the two charges.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Longee, who had previously been convicted of a sex crime in 2013, repeatedly strangled and sexually assaulted a teenage girl after spending the day drinking alcohol and smoking meth with her and a friend.
On Jan. 22, 2025, Longee brought a 17-year-old girl and her friend over to his grandmother’s house in Poplar to smoke meth and drink alcohol. Later in the day, after dropping off the friend at her apartment, Longee and the 17-year-old girl returned to his bedroom.
The girl was on her tablet and Longee got angry, strangling her to unconsciousness. She regained consciousness before Longee strangled her again. When she awoke each time, she was in various stages of undress. At one point during the assault, she coughed up blood. She said Longee told her, “I’m sorry, babe. Am I scaring you?”
The girl cried and asked to leave but Longee wouldn’t let her, instead telling her that she was with him tonight. When she told him again that she wanted to go home and was scared, he again got angry, yelled at her and sexually assaulted her again. After another assault in the living room, the 17-year-old was able to escape through the kitchen and run to a friend’s house where the friend called 911.
At the hospital, the girl was interviewed by law enforcement, who obtained a search warrant for the Longee residence. They found Longee there, passed out on the floor and the house exactly as described by the girl. Agents awakened Longee, arrested him and swabbed him for DNA. At the hospital, the 17-year-old was evaluated by a sexual assault nurse examiner, who found injuries, bruising and other evidence of the assault.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Fort Peck Tribes and the FBI conducted the investigation.
Jury finds Honduran woman guilty of transporting a Mexican national illegally in the U.S.Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A woman from Honduras who was accused of illegally reentering the country and transporting a Mexican national was found guilty by a federal jury today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Following a three-day trial, Yolanda Ernestina Soto-Antunez, 41, was found guilty of being in the county illegally and transporting someone in the country illegally. Soto-Antunez faces up to five years of prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for July 9, 2026, Soto-Antunez was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Soto-Antunez was illegally transporting a Mexican national in the U.S. and that she had illegally reentered the country in 2016.
A Phillips County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over Soto-Antunez on March 6, 2026, on Highway 2 near Malta for speeding. The deputy eventually requested translation help from two U.S. Border Patrol agents after he struggled to understand Soto-Antunez’s broken English. Law enforcement learned Soto-Antunez was in the county illegally from Honduras and the passenger in her car was in the country illegally from Mexico.
Through the course of their investigation, agents found $18,000 in a duffle bag that belonged to her passenger. He told agents he was traveling to Washington to borrow an additional $12,000 from a cousin for a total of $30,000 to pay for his sister to be transported illegally into the U.S. He was told to give the money to Soto-Antunez, who would deliver it to a group in Tijuana to get his sister across the border.
Agents also learned Soto-Antunez had been previously deported from the U.S. in June 2012 and had reentered the country illegally in August 2016.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Phillip’s County Sheriff’s Office.
Canadian national sentenced and deported for illegally reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Canadian woman who illegally reentered the U.S. after she was deported in 2023 was sentenced today to time served following her April 2026 arrest and will be deported again, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Eva Fehr, 24, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to one count of illegal reentry after deportation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Fehr and a companion illegally drove across the border into Montana without possessing the necessary documentation.
At 6:33 a.m. April 19, 2026, a border sensor was tripped when a gray 2002 Chevy Avalanche crossed into Montana. A U.S. Border Patrol agent tracked down the truck and pulled it over north of Hinsdale about an hour later. The agent verified that the Avalanche had failed to cross the border into Montana at a proper Port of Entry.
Inside the truck were Fehr and a companion, and both admitted they were not U.S. citizens and had no immigration documents authorizing them to live, work, or travel in the United States. The two were taken into custody at the Malta Border Patrol Station, where Fehr acknowledged she was a Canadian citizen without the legal documentation needed to be in the U.S.
Fehr previously had been deported in October 2023 after a warrant was issued for overstaying her visa.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Billings man sentenced to 32 months on drug chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who shipped fentanyl pills to his partner as part of a drug trafficking scheme was sentenced today to 32 months of prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Robert Roy Vincent, 36, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Vincent shipped a box of fentanyl pills from a UPS store in California to his partner’s house in Billings.
In April 2024 law enforcement in Yellowstone County received a tip that Vincent was selling fentanyl in Billings; he was already wanted by police for a number of outstanding warrants. Officers obtained a search warrant for Vincent’s CashApp profile and learned he had received $4,800 from his partner between March and April 2024.
The CashApp data included a transaction from a UPS store in California on April 9, 2024. Investigators contacted the UPS store and learned Vincent had mailed a package to his partner’s home in Billings. Law enforcement intercepted the package and found it contained approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Godfrey prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the DEA, and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Billings man pleads guilty to selling fentanylRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who was dealing fentanyl pills from his South Side home admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, David Douglas Davis, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
On the first count, Davis faces five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. On the second count, he faces five years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at future date; Davis remained released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that a search of Davis’s Billings home last fall turned up nearly 900 fentanyl pills and six firearms.
The investigation began when the Billings Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit received a credible tip in October 2025 that a man named David was selling fentanyl from an address on Hallowell Lane. Investigators ended up speaking with a “known fentanyl dealer” who told them Davis was her fentanyl supplier and that she had been purchasing fentanyl pills from Davis for the past six months.
On Oct. 29, 2025, officers served a search warrant on Davis’s Hallowell Lane home where they found 88.4 grams of fentanyl in the form of approximately 883 pills along with six firearms and $16,870 in cash. In his vehicle, they found another firearm and $2,520 in cash. Davis, who travels out of state to purchase the pills, told officers he began selling fentanyl in April 2025 “to make money.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation.
Wolf Point man sentenced to 15 years in prison for parking lot murderRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A man from Wolf Point who shot and killed one man and wounded another last fall was sentenced today to 188 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Ethan Louis Murphy, 27, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of second degree murder and one count of using a firearm in a crime of violence.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Murphy, carrying a handgun, walked up to two men in a grocery store parking lot and shot them, killing one and injuring the other.
Law enforcement first responded at 8:41 p.m. Sept. 28, 2025, when a 911 call reported gunshots in the Wolf Point Albertsons parking lot on the Fort Peck Reservation. Wolf Point police officers arrived and found two men on the ground, one of them dead from a gunshot wound to the head and the other injured.
Officers with Fort Peck Tribal Criminal Investigations and the FBI investigated the scene and collected four 9mm Luger casings. Surveillance from the grocery store showed Murphy walking up to one of the victims with his gun drawn and shooting him a single time in the head when the victim pulled out a black machete. Murphy then shot the second victim. A bystander called out, “It was Ethan, it was Ethan.”
Murphy turned himself in two days later on Sept. 30, 2025. Law enforcement found him in the passenger seat of a car with the pistol and ammunition they later matched to the shooting.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and the Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.
Nashua man sentenced to 7 years in prison for trafficking meth by trainRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Nashua man who helped traffic methamphetamine in Montana was sentenced today to 88 months, followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
J. Daniel Peters, 55, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Peters and a partner were smuggling meth from Michigan into the Wolf Point area by Amtrak train.
In July 2024, law enforcement learned that Peters was possibly involved with moving drugs by train into Montana. By February 2025, agents had received approval to track calls made from Peters’s phone. They discovered Peters was in contact with a number ultimately determined to belong to Peters’s partner, Deante Mathis.
The same phone number Peters and Mathis were using was also used as a contact number for Amtrak train reservations between Detroit, Michigan, and Glasgow, Montana. On March 20, 2025, law enforcement learned train tickets from Detroit to Glasgow had been purchased for the following day using the number.
Law enforcement staked out the Glasgow Amtrak station and saw Peters arrive by car and pick up Mathis, who had been on the train. Officers searched Peters’s vehicle and found roughly one pound of meth in Mathis’s luggage. Mathis admitted to law enforcement that he moved meth by train three times in the previous six months, providing it to Peters who sold it around the Wolf Point area and using the proceeds to buy more.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
Missoula man pleads guilty to gun chargeRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Missoula man who had previously been convicted of felony assault admitted to illegally possessing a firearm today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, Jason Duane Spadt, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Spadt faces 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2026. Spadt remained released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Spadt was found with a loaded handgun in his truck during a traffic stop in Great Falls.
Spadt was convicted in October 2022 in Missoula County of partner/family member assault and as part of his conviction he is registered as a violent offender and explicitly prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On March 5, 2025, Spadt was pulled over in Great Falls and when officers conducted a probation search of Spadt’s truck, they found a 9mm handgun loaded with a round in the chamber. Along with the gun, officers found 9mm hollow point ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
Pryor man pleads guilty to receiving child pornRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Pryor man who had a video on his phone with sexually explicit material of a minor admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, Melvin Lee Stops, Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. Stops faces five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, at least a $35,000 special assessment, a separate $5,000 special assessment, five years to lifetime of supervised release, and an additional $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge Watters will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set by the court. Stops was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that sexually explicit material of a minor was discovered on Stops’s cell phone in 2022.
Stops was at a house party in June 2022 where he left his phone after leaving the party. One of the partygoers found his phone and on it discovered “videos of underage girls.” She called law enforcement to report what she found. In December 2025, law enforcement served a search warrant on the phone and found the video.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
Mexican national sentenced for illegally reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican citizen illegally traveling in Conrad who used fake immigration documents was sentenced today to time served, two months, and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Armando Leal-Delgado, 52, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to one count of illegal reentry to the United States after removal.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that after having been removed from the country three times, Delagado again illegally reentered the United States.
A Pondera County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle near a Town Pump gas station in Conrad on April 10, 2026, for having expired registration. Traveling with the deputy was a U.S. Border Patrol agent. Delgado presented a Colorado driver’s license and, running his name, the law enforcement officers learned Delgado had previously been deported from the United States.
Law enforcement learned that Delgado was first sent back to Mexico in March 2014 after having been apprehended in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. He was discovered again in New Mexico a month later and was again deported to Mexico in April 2014. Delgado was again discovered in New Mexico in March 2016 and was sent back to Mexico two months later in June 2016. The last two times he was found, Delgado was convicted for reentering the country without permission.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.
Heart Butte man pleads guilty to shooting at a family on the Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Heart Butte man who shot at a family, including two children, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, Raymond David Boggs, Jr., 53, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and two counts of felony child abuse. Boggs faces 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Sept. 28, 2026. Boggs remained released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of May 14, 2024, multiple law enforcement agencies near Heart Butte, Montana, responded to a 911 call. The call came from Jane Doe 1, and her son, John Doe 1, who were cleaning out a family property along with Jane Doe 1’s 12-year-old nephew (John Doe 2) and her 11-year-old niece (Jane Doe 2). Both Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 1 told the dispatcher that the defendant, Raymond Boggs, was shooting at them.
When officers arrived, Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 1 explained that Boggs had yelled at them from his property while he watched them from a golf cart before he returned to that area in a truck. He pulled a gun from his truck and fired at the group while they were outside, and he continued to shoot into the house when the four took shelter inside. Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 2 described hearing two different sounding gunshots. They then pointed out Boggs to the officers as he drove around on a golf cart. A group of officers canvassed the area between the two houses. They ultimately contacted Boggs, who was riding in a golf cart and had a shotgun with him. Boggs was detained, and the shotgun was taken into evidence.
At the direction of Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 1, officers found spent shell casings at the location where Boggs was shooting. Along with the spent shell casings was a spent shotgun shell; ballistic evidence showed the casing had been fired from Boggs’ shotgun. Officers also observed bullet holes in the exterior of the house that traveled into the house, and they observed bullet holes in vehicles parked alongside the house. They also recovered a bullet from a couch inside the home. When the occupants of the house were interviewed after the shooting, all four named Boggs as the shooter. The quartet, including John Doe 2 and Jane Doe 2, described feeling terrified that they would be hurt or killed as Boggs shot into the house.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The BIA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and Pondera County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
Honduran national pleads guilty to reentering U.S. illegallyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A man who previously had been removed from the country four times admitted to charges of illegal reentry today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, Tony Noe Oviedo Zelaya, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of reentry to the United States after having been previously removed. Oviedo Zelaya faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided at the change of plea proceedings. U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 8, 2026. Oviedo Zelaya remained in custody pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Oviedo Zelaya is a native citizen of Honduras and that he illegally entered the United States on multiple occasions.
West Yellowstone police officers pulled over Oviedo Zelaya on April 14, 2026, and discovered he was driving on a suspended license. They learned he was a Honduran national who had been removed from the country on four different occasions. The last time was March 21, 2025, when he was barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement conducted the investigation.
East Helena man sentenced to five years of probation for pulling gun on high schoolerRead the Press Release
HELENA – An East Helena man who pulled a gun on a high school student driving through his neighborhood was sentenced today to five years of probation with 80 hours of community service, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Ryan Christopher Williams, 47, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in a school zone.
U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that, while within 1,000 feet of a high school, Williams pulled a gun on a student who had been driving through his neighborhood.
On May 1, 2025, an East Helena High School student was driving through a neighborhood on his way to class and passed a vehicle headed in the opposite direction. The student said the driver then turned his vehicle around and began following him, tailing him to the school. At an intersection in front of the high school, the driver cut off the student with his vehicle, forcing him to stop.
The man then got out of his vehicle, approached the high-schooler and pulled his gun, pointing it at the student. He chastised the teenager for driving too fast and the student apologized. The man got back in his vehicle and left; the student finished driving to school and reported what happened to school staff.
The school called law enforcement and deputies with the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office canvassed the neighborhood. They eventually found a vehicle that matched the one described by the high-schooler parked on the 2700 block of Bandera Drive. It was registered to Williams. A sheriff’s deputy contacted Williams, who matched the description given by the student, and interviewed him on his front lawn. Williams confirmed that he’d pulled the student over earlier and acknowledged that he was armed at the time. But he denied pulling the gun and pointing it at the teenager. Deputies found the gun on William’s property and it matched the one described by the student. Deputies arrested Williams, who was then interviewed by ATF agents.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
Billings man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison on drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who tried to collect a package from the post office with 6,000 carfentanil pills hidden inside a stuffed animal was sentenced today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Timothy Christopher Payne was sentenced to 140 months in prison with five years of supervised release on one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also sentenced to 48 months in prison on one count of using a communication facility in a felony act related to a controlled substance. The two sentences will run concurrently.
Payne, 39, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to the two counts.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that a suspicious package addressed to Payne’s residence on Lewis Avenue in Billings held just over a pound of carfentanil that Payne intended to traffic.
On Oct. 17, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service flagged a package as suspicious that had been mailed to a “George Pina” but addressed to a residence associated with Payne. Investigators filed for a search warrant to open the package and as they waited for approval Payne arrived at the post office to pick up the parcel, using the name George Pina.
The day before, a mail carrier had attempted to deliver the package to Payne’s residence but it was too large to fit in his mailbox. The carrier continued on with her route and a few minutes later Payne flagged her down and attempted to retrieve the package. The carrier told him he would have to pick it up at the post office, which is what Payne tried to do the next day.
At the post office Payne was told the package had yet to arrive and so he left his phone number, requesting a call once it was ready for pickup. In the meantime investigators received their warrant and opened the package. Inside they found a stuffed animal that concealed a baggie of approximately 6,000 blue pills marked “M 30.” Technicians tested the pills, which together weighed approximately 575.6 grams or 1.2 pounds, and found they contained carfentanil, a synthetic fentanyl analogue.
Agents then called Payne and told him his package had arrived. Payne returned to the post office, picked up his parcel and walked back outside. Agents at that point arrested him, to which Payne responded repeatedly, “I knew you guys were here. I knew you guys were coming.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
Worden man pleads guilty to drug chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Worden man who regularly sold methamphetamine out of his rural Yellowstone County home admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
The defendant, John Paul Schmieding, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Schmieding faces five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, four years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Schmieding will receive a date for his sentencing at a future appearance; he was released back to supervision pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that an investigation by local and federal law enforcement into bank fraud and stolen guns led officials to a meth trafficking operation run by Schmieding.
On Aug. 6, 2025, Billings police officers arrested a man suspected of trying to cash fraudulent checks at a local bank. A search of his vehicle turned up more fraudulent documents and a stolen handgun. From jail, in an effort to raise bond money, the man directed his girlfriend to sell off stolen guns and other items to Schmieding, who had been identified by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Taskforce as someone with a history of trafficking meth in the Billings area.
Using a warrant, investigators began tracking the vehicles and cell phones used by the girlfriend and another woman, which led officers to the Billings home of Schmieding’s father and Schmieding’s residence in Worden. The two women later told investigators they had regularly purchased meth from Schmieding.
On Sept. 17, 2025, investigators served a search warrant on both locations, where they discovered a “large cache of stolen firearms” in the Billings home and meth and drug paraphernalia in Schmieding’s Worden residence. Specifically in Worden, officers discovered in the sink a torn vacuum pack plastic bag filled with water and containing meth residue. Agents cut the P-trap out of the sink and collected the water inside, which also tested positive for meth. They also discovered glass pipes with meth residue, a digital scale and cash.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Taskforce conducted the investigation.
Missoula man sentenced to over four years in prison on drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Missoula man who trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl from Washington to Montana was sentenced today to 55 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Nathanial John Shoen, 33, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Shoen, along with Devon Bond and Joseph Cierley, was transporting methamphetamine and fentanyl from Washington state to Missoula with plans to distribute.
Bond, 29, was sentenced on April 24, 2026, to 10 years and six months in prison and five years of supervised release. Cierley, 38, was sentenced on May 19, 2026, to seven years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Law enforcement officers began surveillance on Shoen, Bond and Cierley in summer 2025 after receiving a tip from an informant that the group was bringing back “pounds of methamphetamine and ounces of fentanyl” from Washington.
Officers conducted a traffic stop in July 2025 of a vehicle in which the three men were traveling. In the vehicle, agents discovered 896.9 grams, or nearly 2 pounds, of meth, 66.4 grams of fentanyl pills and a loaded .357 revolver. A search of the men’s cell phones showed that all three were involved in distributing the drugs.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missoula Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.