Josh Farmer Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on October 5, 2011, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, JOSH FARMER, a 22-year-old resident of Billings, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing has been set for January 12, 2012. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Seykora, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On January 18, 2011, detectives with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force received information from a confidential informant (CI) regarding the methamphetamine trafficking activities of Richard Pospisil. According to the CI, Pospisil was distributing ounce quantities of methamphetamine in the Billings area.
On January 18, 2011, the CI purchased a half ounce of methamphetamine from Pospisil. Also on this date, 12.2 grams of 76% methamphetamine or 9.1 grams of actual methamphetamine was seized from FARMER in Laurel. Information provided by the CI and others show that FARMER's methamphetamine was supplied by Pospisil.
On January 26, 2011, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle whose occupants were Pospisil and FARMER. Officers seized 59.5 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine or 45.5 grams of actual methamphetamine from FARMER and Pospisil.
When debriefed by agents on January 26, 2011, FARMER admitted that he has been involved in the distribution and use of methamphetamine for about 15 months and that his main source of supply was Pospisil. FARMER indicated he had purchased approximately 3 to 4 pounds of methamphetamine from Pospisil for redistribution.
The United States would have established that the amount of methamphetamine that FARMER possessed with intent to distribute or distributed during the period of the conspiracy was between 500 grams of a mixture and 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of methamphetamine.
Pospisil pled guilty to federal charges and is awaiting sentencing.
FARMER faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could be sentenced to life, a $10,000,000 fine and at least 5 years supervised release.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
