Department of Justice

MISSOULA —A Butte man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl pills and to firearms crimes was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Charles Warren Campbell, 52, pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number and possession of an unregistered firearm.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that in August 2021, the Butte Silver-Bow Police Department officers assisted in evicting a man from a Butte residence and when they arrived, another man fled before officers could identify the person. Officers located a firearm, five ounces of meth, a digital scale, heroin and two cell phones in a guest room. The individual being evicted advised law enforcement that Campbell had moved in about a month prior, was the man who fled the residence and that the drugs and gun were Campbell’s. A few weeks later, officers located Campbell, who had an active felony arrest warrant, driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen. In a search of the car, officers found three additional firearms, including a modified shotgun with a pistol grip and an obliterated serial number, a .25-caliber handgun and a 9mm pistol. Officers also located ammunition, meth, heroin and a fentanyl pill. Campbell told officers he was a ranking member of the Aryan Brotherhood in Arizona and had been receiving and distributing large quantities of meth and heroin over the past month. Campbell had a prior felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Butte Silver-Bow Law Enforcement and Montana Probation and Parole.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.