2 Montana women sentenced to prison for trafficking meth

MISSOULA – A woman from Corvallis and another from Helena who were bringing methamphetamine into Montana from Washington were sentenced to prison today, U.S. Attorney Scott Twito said.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Malloy presided.

Amanda Lynn Montoya, 42, from Corvallis, who pleaded guilty in July 2026 to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release.

Cristina Dallas Kunz, 36, from Helena, who pleaded guilty in July 2026 to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced to seven years in prison and five years of supervised release.

The government alleged in court documents that Montoya was distributing methamphetamine in Missoula. Law enforcement learned Montoya was travelling back to Montana from Washington on May 28, 2026, and arranged a traffic stop to further investigate. Montoya was driving the car, and Kunz was in the passenger seat. In the vehicle, officers found two pounds of meth and $1,700 in cash. Searching Kunz’s phone, officers found messages detailing plans between Kunz and Montoya to distribute the meth, and their plan to travel to Washington to purchase the drugs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missoula Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.