Butte Meth-Fentanyl Traffickers Busted, Faces Life Behind Bars

In a major blow to the Butte and Helena areas, a federal jury has convicted three individuals of conspiring to distribute massive amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Juan Felipe Vidrio Fuentes, 36, of Anaheim, California; James Andrew Stringari, 51, of Whitehall; and Janet Dean White, 57, of Butte, were found guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

The defendants, who are the last of eight Montanans and Californians indicted and convicted for bringing at least 13 pounds of methamphetamine and thousands of fentanyl pills to the Butte and Helena areas, face a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich praised the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney and the 11 law enforcement agencies who investigated and prosecuted the case, stating, “The harm and misery they inflicted on people so they could make money cannot be overstated. Their convictions show that our office and our law enforcement partners are relentless in rooting out and ridding these drug trafficking rings from our cities and towns.”

The investigation revealed that the defendants conspired to traffic meth and fentanyl from June 2022 until January 2023. In June 2022, the Utah Highway Patrol stopped a vehicle carrying 3.5 pounds of meth and 6,000 pills containing fentanyl, which were destined for distribution in Butte. Law enforcement also discovered that Fuentes was supplying both fentanyl and meth throughout the Butte area from a residence in Whitehall.

The government further alleged that in October 2022, law enforcement stopped a vehicle leaving the Whitehall residence and found one pound of meth in White’s purse. In November 2022, law enforcement again stopped White in a vehicle and located three quarters of a pound of meth and more than 100 pills containing fentanyl. White also possessed several cell phones, which contained messages indicative of White’s drug distribution.

The court set sentencing for September 3 for all three defendants. The defendants remained detained pending further proceedings. The investigation was a coordinated effort involving 11 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, DEA, and local police departments.

As the defendants face the possibility of life behind bars, the community can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that those responsible for bringing harm and misery to their neighborhoods have been held accountable. The convictions serve as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of drug trafficking and the importance of continued efforts to root out these rings and bring perpetrators to justice.”