Richard Lyle Pospisil Sentenced in U.S. District Court
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on April 18, 2012, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, RICHARD LYLE POSPISIL, a resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. POSPISIL was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 135 months
Special Assessment: $100
Supervised Release: 5 years
POSPISIL was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
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, law enforcement officers received information from a confidential informant regarding the methamphetamine trafficking activities of POSPISIL. According to the informant, POSPISIL was distributing ounce quantities of methamphetamine in the Billings area.
On January 18, 2011, this confidential informant purchased 8.4 grams actual methamphetamine from POSPISIL. Also on this date, 9.1 grams of actual methamphetamine was seized from J.F. in Laurel. Information provided by the informant and others show that J.F.'s methamphetamine was supplied by POSPISIL.
On January 26, 2011, a confidential informant purchased 14.9 grams of actual meth from POSPISIL. This time the purchase took place at POSPISIL's parents' residence in the Lockwood area. After the purchase, a traffic stop was conducted and 45.5 grams of actual methamphetamine was seized from POSPISIL and J.F.
Following this buy and the traffic stop on January 26, 2011, a search warrant was executed on POSPISIL's residence in Billings and on his parents' residence. Recovered in the searches was 413.37 grams of actual methamphetamine.
When debriefed by agents on January 26, 2011, POSPISIL admitted to obtaining multiple pounds of methamphetamine from an organization out of Wyoming since the summer of 2010. The total amount of methamphetamine involved in 2011 was 491.27 grams of actual methamphetamine.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that POSPISIL will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, POSPISIL 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 Drug Enforcement Administration, the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
