Dawn Marie Menjivar Sentenced In U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on September 18, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, DAWN MARIE MENJIVAR, a 37-year-old resident of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 27 months

• Special Assessment: $100

• Community Service: 200 hours

• Supervised Release: 5 years

MENJIVAR was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica T. Fehr, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

In October of 2010, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force (BSSSTF) received information about a large scale methamphetamine distribution organization operating in Yellowstone County.

In the spring of 2011, law enforcement began performing electronic surveillance on C.M., an individual living in Billings. Investigators discovered that C.M., MENJIVAR and Armando Hernandez-Vaca began supplying the larger methamphetamine organization in late 2010 with methamphetamine after the prior source of supply had a run in with law enforcement. During the investigation law enforcement learned that Hernandez-Vaca delivered methamphetamine to C.M., his co-conspirator, MENJIVAR, and several other individuals from approximately April 2011 to October 2011. Hernandez-Vaca regularly transported two to three pounds of methamphetamine per trip during his involvement in the conspiracy.

In approximately July of 2011, C.M. was incarcerated on non-drug related charges. MENJIVAR took over the distribution of methamphetamine and collection of money for the organization. MENJIVAR stored methamphetamine, distributed methamphetamine, collected money owed for methamphetamine, and regularly kept C.M. informed of the organizations operations while he was incarcerated.

MENJIVAR is responsible for the possession with intent to distribute and the distribution of over 50 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in the Billings area.

Hernandez-Vaca pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that MENJIVAR will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, MENJIVAR does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.