East Helena man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine

GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man who trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine while also possessing firearms was sentenced on Oct. 29 to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Thomas Anthony Conley, 37, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

“Thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds and pounds of meth, and multiple guns. A majority of the cases we prosecute include those elements, and I’m pleased to say virtually all of our cases result in federal prison sentences. This case is no different, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute dangerous drug traffickers with the goal that they have the same fate as Conley,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

In court documents, the government alleged that Conley possessed multiple firearms and was responsible for importing more than 20,000 fentanyl pills and dozens of pounds of meth into the state. In March and April 2023, law enforcement learned from sources that Conley was supplying meth and fentanyl in the Helena area. The investigation led to search warrants for Conley’s home and vehicles. Officers located several firearms and ammunition in one of his vehicles along with more than 17,000 fentanyl pills. Conley admitted he had worked with others to traffic large quantities of fentanyl pills and several dozen pounds of meth into Montana in the preceding months.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Southwest Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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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