Mark Edwin Abresch Sentenced In U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 16, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, MARK EDWIN ABRESCH, a 54-year-old resident of Great Falls, was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 72 months

• Special Assessment: $100.00

• Supervised Release: 5 years

ABRESCH was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica A. Betley, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

During January 2012, law enforcement was alerted to a methamphetamine distribution ring from Washington state to Great Falls.

In June 2012, detectives learned that ABRESCH made repeated trips from Great Falls to Washington to obtain methamphetamine to re-sell in Great Falls.

On June 29, 2012, a CI (confidential informant) informed the drug task force that ABRESCH was returning to Great Falls from Washington with methamphetamine. The task force arranged for a controlled drug buy from ABRESCH in Great Falls. The CI purchased methamphetamine. The CI then continued to make numerous controlled drug buys from ABRESCH over the next few days.

Law enforcement located ABRESCH's car in early July 2012 and the task force tracked his car from Great Falls to Spokane, Washington. The car stayed in Spokane for less than two hours before returning to Great Falls. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of the car just outside of Great Falls and they obtained two ounces of methamphetamine from ABRESCH. He then told law enforcement he had traveled to Spokane to buy methamphetamine from "Bert." He had been supplied by Bert, who was identified as Robert Boucher, since February or March 2012. In total, ABRESCH believed he had obtained and distributed approximately ten ounces of methamphetamine that he received from Boucher.

ABRESCH told law enforcement that Boucher provided him with a GPS system in order for him to find Boucher's house in Spokane. Once ABRESCH obtained the methamphetamine from Boucher, he would sell the methamphetamine by the gram for $100 around Great Falls. Boucher sold the methamphetamine to ABRESCH for $1,400 per ounce.

ABRESCH and Boucher also dealt methamphetamine with Ron Leeson and Tammy Lapie from Lapie's house in Great Falls. The methamphetamine dealing continued into the fall of 2012.

Robert Boucher, Ron Leeson, and Tammy Lapie pled guilty to federal charges.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that ABRESCH will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, ABRESCH does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force - Russell County Drug Task Force.