Washington Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Armed Meth, Fentanyl Trafficking in Great Falls Area and Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation
GREAT FALLS — A Washington man was sentenced today to eight years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he admitted to illegally possessing a firearm and bringing methamphetamine and fentanyl pills to the Great Falls area and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation for distribution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Nathaniel Jameco Brown, 45, of Spokane, Washington, pleaded guilty in February to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in the fall of 2021, law enforcement in Great Falls learned that Brown was distributing drugs from Great Falls area hotels. In December 2021, law enforcement stopped Brown, who was traveling in a vehicle from Spokane to Great Falls, near Vaughn and found him in possession of 20 fentanyl pills, more than an ounce of meth and a loaded pistol and multiple magazines. Brown described making numerous prior trips to Great Falls and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation to sell fentanyl pills and significant quantities of meth. Brown estimated bringing a total of 12 ounces of meth and 500 pills to Montana. Brown was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, including a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Russell Country Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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.
