Gallatin County meth trafficker sentenced to four years in prison

MISSOULA  — A Bozeman man who admitted to selling methamphetamine and cocaine to approximately 10 people in the Gallatin Valley for about a year was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Gerardo Gutierrez, 21, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to possession with intent to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that in July 2020, Gutierrez sold meth twice to a confidential informant. When interviewed, Gutierrez told law enforcement he had been dealing meth for another person for approximately one year and estimated he dealt an average of one ounce a week of both meth and cocaine, which is about 3.25 pounds of each drug, and sold to 10 different people.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force.

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.

XXX