Steven Amundson, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2018

BILLINGS, MT – In a major blow to the city’s methamphetamine trade, Steven Amundson was sentenced to 48 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his role in a larger trafficking conspiracy.

Amundson, a Billings resident, pleaded guilty in October 2018 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the sentencing hearing.

According to court records, law enforcement began investigating a meth conspiracy in April 2018, which involved importing large quantities of meth into the Billings area. A confidential informant led agents to Amundson, who sold ounce quantities of meth to the informant on multiple occasions. Agents also conducted a controlled buy, purchasing an ounce of meth from Amundson.

Amundson’s supplier, co-defendant Wilfrido Varelas-Rubio, repeatedly brought multiple pound quantities of meth to Billings and provided multiple ounces to Amundson for redistribution. In a search of Varelas-Rubio’s hotel room and vehicle, agents found nearly 4.5 pounds of meth. Varelas-Rubio was convicted in the case and sentenced to nine years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, EMHIDTA, and FBI. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime through evidence-based solutions.

PSN brings together a broad spectrum of stakeholders to identify and address the most pressing violent crime problems in the community. Through this strategy, law enforcement focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs to achieve lasting reductions in crime.

In this case, Amundson’s sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of methamphetamine trafficking in Billings. The community can expect continued efforts from law enforcement to disrupt and dismantle these operations.