Great Falls meth, heroin dealer sentenced to five years in prison

GREAT FALLS  — A Great Falls woman who admitted to dealing methamphetamine and heroin for a drug trafficking organization in Mexico was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Katie Marie Marceau, 38, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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

The government alleged in court documents that Marceau was a significant drug dealer in Great Falls and had direct connections to a drug trafficking ring in Mexico. Leaders of the organization sent workers to Great Falls to distribute meth and heroin and to recruit local workers, like Marceau, to distribute drugs. The workers typically distributed the drug in Great Falls for a few months, and then the leaders rotated to the next worker to avoid law enforcement detection. In late 2020, Marceau became the new designated worker for the drug organization and sold meth and heroin to undercover officers. Marceau also was on state supervision at the time when she engaged in this drug activity.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley prosecuted the case. The Great Falls Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Russell Country Drug Task Force 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.

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