Montana Couple Busted with 800g Meth in Idaho Traffic Stop

David Vance Taylor, 62, and Bambi Sue Tomlin, 54, of Billings, Montana, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, a charge carrying a mandatory minimum of ten years behind bars. The conviction stems from a June 7, 2016, traffic stop in Bingham County that unraveled a cross-country drug run.

According to court documents, Idaho State Police pulled over the couple’s vehicle after observing a traffic violation. The officer immediately smelled marijuana and initiated a search. Hidden inside the car: 804 grams of actual methamphetamine and 2 grams of marijuana. The drugs were concealed in a compartment designed to evade detection, prosecutors said.

Taylor and Tomlin admitted under oath that they picked up the methamphetamine in Las Vegas, Nevada, and were transporting it through Idaho via Interstate 15 for delivery to a third party in Billings. The route—a known drug corridor—has long attracted federal scrutiny for smuggling operations.

Charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, both face up to life in federal prison, a $10,000,000 fine, and no less than five years of supervised release after incarceration. The severity of the sentence reflects the volume of the haul—well over the 500-gram threshold that triggers the ten-year mandatory minimum.

Sentencing is scheduled for January 4, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello. No plea deal details were disclosed, but prosecutors emphasized the high stakes in regional drug enforcement.

The case was investigated by the Bingham County Prosecutor’s Office and the Idaho State Police. It was prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired through the Eastern Idaho Partnership—a joint task force of 12 counties, 18 cities, the Idaho Department of Correction, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office—dedicated to cracking down on drug trafficking, gun crimes, gangs, and child exploitation with federal ties.