Helena man sentenced to over 10 years in prison on drug charges

GREAT FALLS – A Helena man who trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to 148 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

David Alan Moorse, 39, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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

The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement received information David Moorse was distributing fentanyl powder in Montana. Moorse told one source he had a good hook up in Helena and sent pictures of a brick of fentanyl powder.

On January 9, 2025, Moorse was located at a casino in Helena, Montana, and arrested for a state probation violation warrant. He had 94 grams of methamphetamine, 106 grams of fentanyl pills and 25 grams of fentanyl powder in his vehicle. Moorse admitted in an interview that he sold one to ten fentanyl pills a day to make a little money to buy a few grams of meth for personal use. Moorse denied distributing a large quantity of drugs despite the quantity located in the car. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Moorse’s phone and found messages related to distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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