Browning man admits trafficking meth on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

GREAT FALLS — A Browning man today admitted to trafficking methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation after an investigation in which law enforcement seized meth and five firearms from his residence, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, David William Sharp, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute meth. Sharp faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 23, 2025. Sharp was detained pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that in the spring of 2023, law enforcement in Browning received information that Sharp was distributing meth in and around the community. Witnesses told investigators Sharp received drugs from a supplier in the Kalispell area with the intent of selling them on the Blackfeet Reservation. Law enforcement conducted three controlled buys of meth from Sharp at his residence. Following the last purchase in November 2023, law enforcement executed a tribal search warrant at Sharp’s residence. Investigators seized 296 grams of pure meth, packaged in 11 baggies, drug paraphernalia, and five firearms. The purchased and seized drugs totaled approximately 315 grams of meth.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

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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