CHEYENNE, WY – A wave of federal sentences handed down in Wyoming this week reveals the grim reality of drug and weapons trafficking plaguing the state. Zachary Thomas Stott, 30, of Gillette, Wyoming, received a hefty 143 months and 9 days in prison after admitting to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegally possessing a firearm while doing so. The sentencing, delivered by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, stemmed from a traffic stop last October where Casper Police discovered the drugs, paraphernalia, and weapon in Stott’s vehicle. As a convicted felon, Stott was already barred from owning firearms.
The crackdown wasn’t limited to drug and gun crimes. Adam Paul Custeau, 27, of Casper, Wyoming, will spend 120 months behind bars for attempting to entice a minor into sexual activity. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl delivered the sentence on November 30th. The investigation, a joint effort between Homeland Security Investigations, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol, highlights the continued threat to vulnerable children.
Beyond Wyoming residents, the federal courts also saw sentences for out-of-state actors fueling the state’s drug problem. Matthew Ryan Natoli, 46, of Menifee, California, was sentenced to 77 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Freudenthal handed down the sentence December 15th, after Natoli pleaded guilty in September to shipping the drugs to an individual in Evanston, Wyoming. The U.S. Postal Service investigated the case.
Fentanyl, the deadly synthetic opioid, also dominated the court dockets. Jevon Leon Bynum, 44, of Casper, Wyoming, received a 108-month sentence for possession with intent to distribute the drug. Investigators traced Bynum’s communication with a fentanyl distributor operating through the USPS, leading to a search of his and his mother’s residences where 160 grams of fentanyl were recovered. Raymond Paddock, 66, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, also faced fentanyl charges, receiving 33 months in prison after a traffic stop revealed approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills hidden under the passenger seat where he was sitting. The bust was made on March 12th, and the DEA led the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Z. Griswold, Jonathan C. Coppom, and Timothy J. Forwood were instrumental in securing these convictions. The sentences underscore the federal government’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and related crimes within Wyoming, though the steady flow of cases suggests the battle is far from over. These aren’t isolated incidents; they represent a network of individuals profiting from misery and endangering communities across the state.
The ATF, alongside local law enforcement, continues to investigate firearms-related crimes as a crucial component of these drug trafficking operations. The cases demonstrate a clear pattern: drugs and guns frequently go hand-in-hand, creating a dangerous cocktail of violence and addiction. The Grimy Times will continue to follow these cases and expose the underbelly of federal crime in Wyoming and beyond.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
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