Aaron John Minnix Sentenced in U.S. District Court
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on July 12, 2011, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, AARON JOHN MINNIX, a 31-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. MINNIX was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 110 months
Special Assessment: $200
Supervised Release: 5 years
MINNIX was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
Beginning in approximately February 2007, and continuing until August 2009, MINNIX, along with Jason Mills and Tyler Skelton, distributed methamphetamine in Billings for a larger organization based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Law enforcement agents received information that MINNIX and Skelton were involved in a traffic stop on August 9, 2009 in Roosevelt County, and that during a search warrant execution by the Montana Highway Patrol, MINNIX and Skelton were found to be in possession of approximately one-half pound of methamphetamine, two firearms, a large sum of cash, and miscellaneous paraphernalia and drug evidence.
On August 13, 2009, agents conducted a search warrant on a Billings residence where they encountered and arrested MINNIX on the outstanding Roosevelt County arrest warrant.
When questioned on November 30, 2010, MINNIX admitted to obtaining over 500 grams of methamphetamine during the conspiracy. He further admitted that starting in approximately the summer 2009, he was introduced to Skelton by Mills and he further admitted to receiving four ounces of methamphetamine from Skelton.
Mills and Skelton pled guilty to federal charges and have been sentenced.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that MINNIX will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, MINNIX does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.
