Drug Dealers from Montana Sentenced to Federal Prison

POCATELLO – Carson Lee Maynard, 49, of Livingston, Montana, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, and Amy Marie Tillman, 43, of Lewistown, Montana, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison. The two were sentenced for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. They were also ordered to forfeit to the government a residence in Livingston Montana because they used it to commit the offense.

According to court records, in the early morning hours an Idaho State Police Trooper stopped a vehicle that Maynard and Tillman were traveling in because of a window tint violation. When police searched the vehicle, they discovered 5 pounds of methamphetamine and 3,000 fentanyl pills in a spare tire in the trunk of the vehicle. Maynard and Tillman were travelling back to Montana from New Mexico and Las Vegas after receiving large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Maynard and Tillman admitted they conspired to return to Montana where they would sell the methamphetamine and fentanyl.

Maynard was previously convicted in federal court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the District of Montana.

Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Maynard to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Tillman was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.  Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charge in May 2025.

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Idaho State Police, the Missouri River Drug Task Force-HIDTA (Montana), and the Montana Highway Patrol. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.

This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.

The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.

This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 247 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 185 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 12,090 months (approximately 1,000.58 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 83.38 months (6.95 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 69.43 months (5.78 years) in federal prison.

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