Bryce David Koch, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2023

MISSOULA – A local man has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for his involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking operation.

Bryce David Koch, 31, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was given a 10-year prison sentence, followed by 5 years of supervised release, by Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.

The investigation into Koch’s activities began in October 2017, when law enforcement received information that he was planning to travel to Washington state to purchase methamphetamine for distribution in the Missoula area.

On October 30, 2017, Koch was stopped by the Montana Highway Patrol near Frenchtown, and a subsequent search warrant revealed that he was in possession of 326 grams of pure methamphetamine. This amount of methamphetamine would have resulted in over 2,600 dosages reaching users in Montana if it had been distributed.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working closely with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to identify those responsible for significant violent crime in Montana. This effort is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, a recently reinvigorated initiative that has proven successful in reducing violent crime.

Koch’s sentencing is a significant blow to those involved in methamphetamine trafficking in Montana, and it serves as a reminder of the consequences that await those who engage in such activities.

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