Anna Rea Yellow Owl Sentenced in U.S. District Court
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 3, 2009, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, ANNA REA YELLOW OWL, a 40-year-old resident of Browning, appeared for sentencing. YELLOW OWL was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 50 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 6 years
YELLOW OWL was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to distribution of cocaine in a public housing facility.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
From October of 2006 through September of 2007, confidential informants (CIs), under the direction of the BlackFeet Safe Trails Task Force (BSTTF), conducted three undercover controlled purchases of cocaine from YELLOW OWL at her residence in the Glacier Heights neighborhood in Browning. YELLOW OWL'S residence was within 1,000 feet of a Housing and Urban Development community. The substances that were purchased on each of the three occasions were tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration Lab and confirmed to be cocaine.
On September 28, 2008, members of the BSTTF executed a search warrant at YELLOW OWL'S residence. The officers seized approximately 155 grams of cocaine, approximately $1,100 in cash, and various other items commonly used in the distribution of cocaine. YELLOW OWL was interviewed and indicated that she obtained cocaine from Yakima, Washington, and that she sold it in Browning.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that YELLOW OWL will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, YELLOW OWL does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the Blackfeet Safe Trails Task Force.
