Robert Allen Williams, Meth Trafficking, Montana 2023

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Billings Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Trafficking

A 58-year-old man from Billings, Montana, has been sentenced to 15 years and three months in prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking operation that spanned multiple states.

Robert Allen Williams pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case.

According to court documents, Williams was a regional drug dealer who trafficked methamphetamine in Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. His operation was discovered in April 2021, when Billings DEA agents received information from DEA agents in Oregon about Williams and his co-defendant, Yvonne Schlichting.

On May 26, 2021, Williams and Schlichting were traveling in a rental vehicle in Montana when they were stopped by law enforcement. However, Williams refused to stop and led troopers on a high-speed chase through the Red Lodge area. The vehicle then made a U-turn in the median and headed back to Laurel, where it crashed and ran over spike strips deployed by law enforcement.

During the search of the vehicle, officers found $26,976 in cash and approximately 267 grams of pure methamphetamine. Schlichting was convicted in the case and is pending sentencing.

Williams’ sentencing is a significant blow to the methamphetamine trafficking operation that plagued multiple states. ‘Williams was a regional drug dealer who not only trafficked this poison in Montana communities but also in Idaho and Oregon,’ said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich. ‘Investigating and prosecuting drug traffickers who work across multiple states is a priority for this office, and this significant sentence holds Williams accountable for his conduct.’

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together law enforcement and community organizations to reduce violent crime and gun violence. Williams’ sentence is a testament to the effectiveness of this program.

Williams is currently serving his 15-year and three-month sentence, followed by five years of supervised release.