Kalispell meth, fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison

MISSOULA  — A Kalispell man accused of trafficking thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine in the community was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Justin Jose Romo, 30, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that from March 2022 to September 2022, a Northwest Drug Task Force investigation determined that Romo was distributing meth and fentanyl in the Flathead Valley. Investigators learned from sources that Romo was distributing pound quantities of meth, thousands of fentanyl pills and possessed firearms on multiple occasions.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The Northwest 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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