Stuart Morgan Pattie, Methamphetamine Conspiracy, Montana 2013

Two men from Troy, Montana have been handed down sentences in connection with their guilty pleas to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Stuart Morgan Pattie, 52, and Jesus Heriberto Ramirez-Soto, 44, were sentenced in federal court in Great Falls on September 24, 2013.

Pattie was sentenced to 36 months in prison, a $100 special assessment, and 5 years of supervised release. Ramirez-Soto received a 120-month prison sentence, a $100 special assessment, and 5 years of supervised release.

The investigation began in April 2013, when undercover law enforcement agents and a confidential informant started purchasing methamphetamine from Ramirez. The informant arranged a meeting between the agents and Ramirez, and later, Ramirez's associates, including Pattie and Don Edward Lyle.

On April 5, 2013, the informant was with Ramirez and Lyle at Ramirez's home in Troy. The informant mentioned to Ramirez and Lyle that he had a friend who wanted to purchase methamphetamine. The next day, Ramirez called the informant and said that Lyle would be traveling to Kalispell with the methamphetamine.

The agents met with Lyle in Kalispell on April 6, 2013, and Pattie accompanied Lyle on the methamphetamine deal. The agents paid Lyle $5,400 for three ounces of methamphetamine and received an additional ounce from Lyle with the understanding that the agents still owed Lyle for the last ounce.

On April 11, 2013, the informant placed a call to Ramirez to set up another methamphetamine deal. Ramirez told the informant that he could provide the informant's friends with pounds of methamphetamine. The agents called Ramirez and agreed to meet on Saturday, April 13, 2013, in Havre to buy methamphetamine.

On April 13, 2013, Ramirez met an agent in a parking lot and said his friends would be there shortly. Ramirez then discussed possible future drug deals and left the parking lot. A half hour later, Lyle and Pattie pulled up next to the agent. Pattie got out of the car and got into the agent's car with the methamphetamine wrapped in a shirt. Agents then arrested Ramirez, Pattie, and Lyle. Agents recovered more than 500 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

Lyle has already pleaded guilty to federal charges. Because there is no parole in the federal system, Pattie and Ramirez-Soto will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. They do have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for 'good behavior,' but this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. Pattie's real full name is Stuart Morgan Pattie, and his exact criminal charges are conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The city and state where the crime took place is Troy, Montana. The exact date of the crime is April 2013. Pattie's sentence is 36 months in prison, a $100 special assessment, and 5 years of supervised release. The dollar amount applicable is $5,400 for three ounces of methamphetamine.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/stuart-morgan-pattie-and-jesus-heriberto-ramirez-soto-sentenced-us-district-court