Great Falls woman admits meth, fentanyl distribution that led to death

GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls woman admitted on Jan. 31 to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl that led to the death of another individual, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.

Brandie Rae Fulbright, 40, pleaded guilty to distribution of controlled substances resulting in death. Fulbright faces a mandatory maximum of 20 years to life in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 5. Fulbright was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that on Aug. 23, 2020, Great Falls police officers were dispatched to a camper trailer where they found a man, identified as John Doe, deceased on a bed. Co-defendant Kent Fox was on the scene and told officers he was friends with Doe, had last seen Doe two days earlier and had driven Doe to his camper after seeing him use meth. Fulbright had sent Fox to check on Doe when she hadn’t heard from him, and Fox found Doe deceased. An investigation found evidence of communications among Fox, Fulbright and Doe about the use and distribution of various drugs. In an interview with law enforcement officers, Fox admitted to picking up Doe on Aug. 21, 2020 and taking him to his home so that Doe could buy meth from Fulbright. Doe traded an AR-15 rifle to Fulbright in exchange for some meth and two blue pills. Fulbright then gave the rifle to Fox, and Fox returned Doe to his camper. Investigators learned that Doe had the meth and two blue pills when he returned home and gave some of the meth to an individual. The individual saw Doe inject himself with meth obtained from Fox and Fulbright and then slump over on his bed. An autopsy determined that Doe died from an overdose of a combination of meth and fentanyl. Fox previously pleaded guilty to charges and is pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Great Falls Police Department.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.

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