Robert Farrell Armstrong, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2023

BILLINGS, Montana - Robert Farrell Armstrong, a 49-year-old man from Moses Lake, Washington, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in leading a major drug trafficking organization in the Bakken Region of Montana.

According to court documents, Armstrong, also known as 'Dr. Bob,' distributed large amounts of pure methamphetamine in the region, particularly in Sidney, Montana, from approximately April 2012 to October 2013. The methamphetamine was supplied from the state of Washington, and Armstrong used a network of subordinate drug traffickers to distribute the drugs.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Thaggard and Brendan McCarthy prosecuted the case, which is part of Project Safe Bakken, an interagency effort to fight crime in the Bakken Region. The investigation, code-named 'Operation Oil Patch Kids,' involved the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Montana Division of Criminal Investigations (MDCI), Sidney Police Department, Sweet Grass County Sheriff's Office, Dawson County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Border Patrol.

The case has resulted in the convictions of 19 individuals for federal crimes related to Armstrong's drug trafficking organization. Armstrong's sentence is the latest development in the ongoing effort to combat methamphetamine trafficking in the region.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters handed down the sentence in Billings, Montana. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Armstrong will have to serve at least 85% of his 240-month sentence before he is released from prison.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana, Michael Cotter, praised the sentence, stating that it should send a clear message to those who seek to commit similar crimes in the state.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/leader-bakken-drug-trafficking-organization-sentenced-20-years-federal-court