Fentanyl Kingpin Sentenced to 5 Years for Poisoning Great Falls

A notorious fentanyl trafficker has been brought to justice, and the streets of Great Falls are safer because of it. Joseph Allen Conner, aka Street, 40, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced to five years in prison for poisoning the region with his deadly wares.

U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced the sentence, which was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. Conner pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The investigation, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Great Falls Police Department, and Russell Country Drug Task Force, uncovered a massive fentanyl trafficking operation. Conner admitted to making multiple trips to Montana, including to Great Falls, Missoula, Lincoln, and Haugen, to sell fentanyl and other controlled substances.

The investigation revealed that Conner distributed large amounts of pills to multiple sources and possessed ‘buckets full’ of fentanyl pills. Law enforcement also seized approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills and meth from a vehicle being driven by a co-conspirator. The drugs were linked back to Conner, who was seen with a ‘volleyball size bag’ of pills.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, bringing Conner to justice for his role in poisoning the community. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in neighborhoods across the country.

Conner’s sentence sends a clear message: those who bring fentanyl into our communities will face the full force of the law. As the region continues to grapple with the opioid epidemic, this sentence brings hope to those affected by the devastating effects of fentanyl.