GREAT FALLS, MT – Federal indictments and criminal complaints are piling up in Montana courts, revealing a surge in drug trafficking and financial fraud. This week saw a flurry of arraignments, with several defendants facing decades behind bars if convicted. The Grimy Times has been tracking these cases, exposing the underbelly of crime in Big Sky Country.
On November 15th, Jordan Paige Day, 24, of Wolf Point, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Day faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Day was released pending further proceedings. The investigation was a joint effort by the FBI, Idaho State Police, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice. (PACER case reference: 22-74)
Also in Great Falls, Kevin Clarence Bell, 44, of Great Falls, was arraigned on November 15th on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Bell faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release if convicted. Unlike Day, Bell was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by a multi-agency task force including the FBI, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, US. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. (PACER case reference: 22-89)
Down in Missoula, Marcyanna Rose Dimond, 44, of Polson, pleaded not guilty on November 17th before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto to charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. The stakes are high for Dimond, who faces a minimum of 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release if found guilty. Dimond was also detained. The Northwest Drug Task Force, Flathead Tribal Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole worked the case. (PACER case reference: 22-48). Also appearing in Missoula was Candy Lynn Coleman, aka Candy Lynn Anderson, 47, of Missoula, arraigned on November 15th on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Coleman, like Dimond, was detained and faces a potential sentence of five to 40 years, a $5 million fine, and at least four years of supervised release. The FBI, Great Falls Police Department and Missoula Police Department collaborated on the investigation. (PACER case reference: 22-90)
The federal crackdown isn’t limited to drugs. Aaron Lee Grossman, 50, of Washington, Utah, appeared on November 15th facing charges of theft of government money, false claims to government agency and Social Security fraud. Grossman could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release if convicted, but was released pending further proceedings. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. (PACER case reference: 22-49)
Finally, in Billings, Casey Wallace Leider, 31, of Hardin, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan on November 17th, pleading not guilty to charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Leider faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Leider was detained. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated. These cases underscore the relentless pressure federal agencies are applying to combat crime across Montana, but the Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases to ensure accountability and transparency.
Related Federal Cases
- Logan August, Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana, California 2024 · Utah
- John Mead Ogburn, Meth and Fentanyl Trafficking, Montana 2024 · Utah
- Amgen Pays $71M for Pushing Drugs Off-Label · Alaska
- Amgen Inc, Pharmaceutical Misrepresentation, California 2024 · Alaska
- John Doe, Western Union Scam, California 2022 · Alaska
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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