Butte Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Massive Meth, Fentanyl Scheme

MISSOULA — Trevor Allen Handy, a 27-year-old Butte man, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for his role in a large-scale methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking ring, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today.

Handy pleaded guilty in September 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

According to court documents, Handy was part of a drug trafficking organization headed by co-defendant Juan Felipe Vidrio Fuentes, aka “Esco,” which transported meth and fentanyl from California to Montana. Handy admitted to receiving multiple packages of drugs sent to his residence on behalf of the organization for distribution by its members.

After Handy’s arrest, law enforcement searched two Butte addresses occupied by members of the drug organization and located multiple pounds of meth, more than 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately $17,500 in cash, and seven firearms. Investigators seized a total of approximately 18 pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of about 65,232 doses, and approximately 4.85 pounds of fentanyl.

Handy’s sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.

U.S. Attorney Laslovich praised the federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who cooperated in the investigation, saying, “Individuals like Mr. Handy continue to terrorize communities like Butte by transporting and mailing staggering quantities of illegal drugs and poisoning Montana citizens.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Missouri River Drug Task Force, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Utah Highway Patrol, and Utah State Bureau of Investigations conducted the investigation.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven approach.