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Press Release
BILLINGS — A federal jury today convicted a Colorado man of drug trafficking after a high-speed pursuit and search of his vehicle led to the recovery of approximately six pounds of methamphetamine, U.S Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a two-day trial that began on Oct. 21, the jury found Moises Zamora, 39, of Greely, Colorado, guilty of possession with intent to distribute meth as charged in an indictment. Zamora faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Feb. 20, 2025. Zamora remained detained pending further proceedings.
“This drug dealer was caught with almost six pounds of methamphetamine while dangerously attempting to flee a Yellowstone County Deputy Sheriff. With their actions, our law enforcement partners kept more than 21,000 doses of meth from poisoning our community. More work is required, and I am confident such work on other people will yield the same result as Zamora – guilty of drug trafficking,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Nov. 11, 2022, a Yellowstone County Sheriff’s deputy pulled into a convenience store parking lot in Billings and noticed a passenger car parked in an obscure manner, away from the pumps or store entrances. As the deputy drove toward the car, he saw the driver, later identified as Zamora, point toward his patrol vehicle and then slouch in the seat. The deputy believed this behavior to be consistent with nefarious acts and pulled behind the vehicle to investigate. Zamora reversed his car and drove away. The deputy activated his lights and siren, but Zamora continued driving, and a high-speed pursuit began. The pursuit lasted almost 10 minutes and involved speeds reaching 80 mph, with Zamora driving recklessly and entering the lane of oncoming traffic. Zamora finally stopped when he came to a dead end and was arrested.
The deputy observed two blue “M30” pills, later confirmed to be fentanyl, in the backseat. Law enforcement determined Zamora had a warrant for his arrest and was booked into the Yellowstone County Detention Center. Law enforcement served a search warrant on Zamora’s car and located approximately six pounds of meth, two fentanyl pills, three cell phones and drug paraphernalia. Six pounds of meth is the equivalent of approximately 21,744 doses.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and FBI 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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Clair J. Howard
Public Affairs Officer
406-247-4623
Clair.Howard@usdoj.gov