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Billings Woman Sentenced for Meth Trafficking
A Billings woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine from a Billings residence as part of a multi-state organization supplied by Washington sources was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Anita Mae Ballesteros, 36, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth.
In court documents, the government alleged that beginning in September 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated a group of meth traffickers, including Ballesteros, in the Billings area and twice purchased meth from Ballesteros in controlled buys. Ballesteros was one of seven defendants involved in a multi-state drug trafficking ring that operated from a residence on Sugar Avenue in Billings. A group of males from Washington brought to Montana pounds of meth that Ballesteros and a co-defendant distributed to their network of dealers.
Ballesteros was known to distribute most of the meth from this Washington group and sold in ounce and half-pound quantities. Ballesteros also was obtaining and providing firearms to her Washington sources. A co-defendant described Ballesteros as having enough meth to “keep Billings awake.”
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the sentencing hearing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, and the DEA conducted the investigation.
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 U.S. 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.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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