Belgrade man sentenced to 6 years in prison on drug charges

MISSOULA – A Belgrade man who intended to distribute fentanyl was sentenced today to 72 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Justin Olen Brown, 40, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

The government alleged in court documents that on February 23, 2024, Brown was stopped by law enforcement while driving near Ramsey, Montana. The officers saw three lock boxes and multiple items of drug paraphernalia in the car and applied for a search warrant, which led to the seizure of 173 grams fentanyl.

Brown admitted to buying the fentanyl pills in Spokane, Washington, and said he was planning to sell them pills in Montana. Brown also admitted he had taken similar trips to obtain fentanyl pills for sale in the past.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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