Kalispell Man Hurst Gets 12 Years for Meth, Gun Crimes

Kalispell man Christopher Scott Hurst, 30, is headed to federal prison for 12 years after meth and guns were found in a Billings hotel room during a targeted raid last year. Hurst admitted to dealing meth and using firearms to further his drug operation, capping a violent criminal streak that federal prosecutors say endangered the community.

Hurst pleaded guilty in December to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters handed down the 12-year sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, marking one of the stiffer penalties in recent eastern Montana drug prosecutions.

On February 27, 2018, agents with the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force executed a search warrant at the hotel room. They seized approximately half an ounce of meth and $1,488 in cash. After the initial sweep, hotel staff discovered a loaded handgun hidden in the room—missed in the first search—deepening the federal case against Hurst.

Hurst admitted to investigators that he had been sourcing meth, heroin, and cocaine from two suppliers in California who regularly brought bulk quantities into Billings. He confessed to receiving between four and eight ounces of meth nearly every day for months, fueling a regional distribution network tied to escalating drug violence.

A cooperating witness told law enforcement they had repeatedly seen Hurst with both firearms and meth. The witness also claimed Hurst traded guns for meth on multiple occasions, blurring the line between drug trafficking and illegal arms exchange. Prosecutors used this testimony to establish a pattern of violent criminal enterprise.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich led the prosecution, with the FBI, EMHIDTA, and Billings Police Department handling the investigation. The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, the DOJ’s national initiative targeting violent offenders. Federal authorities say Hurst’s arrest and sentence are part of a broader crackdown on drug-driven violence across Montana.