Butte man admits trafficking meth in community

MISSOULA – A Butte man accused of trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine in the Butte area admitted a drug trafficking crime today, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.

Travis Bridger Soderberg, 47, of Butte, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Soderberg faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Dec. 21 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. Soderberg was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that from October 2019 until about November 2020 in Butte and elsewhere in Montana, Soderberg distributed meth. Law enforcement learned through various sources that Soderberg would receive pound quantities of meth shipped in the mail from a source in California. When interviewed, Soderberg admitted to dealing meth and that he received shipments of up to 20 pounds of meth. Investigators also determined that Soderberg wired money to California to pay for the meth. Twenty pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 72,480 doses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.

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