California man sentenced to prison for meth dealing in Great Falls

GREAT FALLS—U.S. Attorney Kurt G. Alme announced today that Michael Christopher Laird, 26, of California, was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison and five years supervised release for conviction on methamphetamine charges.

U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided at the hearing.

Laird pleaded guilty on Aug. 23 to possession with intent to distribute meth.

An investigation began in March when Great Falls Police officers responded to a local business for a shoplifting call in which Laird was present with a suspect. Information from cell phone text messages and other evidence showed that Laird was involved in sending meth to Great Falls and wiring money to California. A Great Falls resident claimed Laird and another person broke into his home looking for a package of meth and threatened to attack him with a machete if he didn’t get the package. The resident gave Laird the package.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Russell Country Drug Task Force.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals.

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