GREAT FALLS, MT – Courtney Price, 28, of Great Falls, is headed to federal prison after admitting she was a key cog in a cross-state drug pipeline. Price was sentenced today to three years and two months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The bust went down February 8, 2023, when law enforcement pulled over a vehicle Price was driving. A subsequent search, authorized by a state warrant, revealed a stash of both fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with a firearm. The discovery triggered a deeper investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
According to court documents, Price wasn’t just a passenger. She confessed to knowing about the fentanyl in the vehicle and admitted she was being paid in the deadly opioid to transport passengers from Tacoma, Washington, to Great Falls. This wasn’t a one-time trip; Price was actively participating in a scheme to move illicit drugs across state lines.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich didn’t mince words, stating the sentence reflects the seriousness of Price’s crime. While the prison term is substantial, it barely scratches the surface of the damage caused by the influx of fentanyl and methamphetamine into Montana communities. The investigation was conducted under the umbrella of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a federal program designed to dismantle large-scale criminal organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott led the prosecution, building a case that clearly demonstrated Price’s involvement in the drug trade. The OCDETF program, as described on Justice.gov, focuses on intelligence-driven, multi-agency collaboration to target the most dangerous criminal networks operating in the United States. This case serves as a warning: those who profit from peddling poison will face the full force of the law.
The presence of a firearm in the vehicle further complicates the case, highlighting the dangerous intersection of drug trafficking and weapons violations. While the sentence focuses on the drug charges, the ATF’s involvement underscores the agency’s commitment to disrupting the flow of illegal firearms used in criminal activity. Price’s actions contributed to the growing opioid crisis and the proliferation of dangerous drugs on Montana streets.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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