Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that on September 22, 2009, in Great Falls, after a 1-day federal district court trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell, FELIPE ARRIAGA aka Juan, a 29-year-old resident of Washington, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine within the exterior boundaries of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Sentencing is to be set. He is currently detained.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll prosecuted the case for the United States.

ARRIAGA faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison, a $4,000,000 fine and 5 years supervised release.

The investigation was conducted by a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Havre Police Department, and the Safe Trails Drug Task Force.

 

 

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