Member Of Bakken Drug Ring Sent To Federal Prison

The United States Attorney's Office announced that SEAN MICHAEL VAIRA, 30, of Billings, was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Susan Watters on March 13, 2014. The defendant previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thaggard told the Court in an Offer of Proof that in early 2013, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (MDCI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Sidney, Montana Police Department began to investigate a drug trafficking network operating in Sidney and Fairview, Montana. That investigation revealed that Sean Vaira was involved in the drug trafficking network.

On August 7, 2013, the Vaira was interviewed by MDCI Agents and told agents that in approximately December of 2012, he met a methamphetamine dealer based in Sidney. Vaira admitted that between late December 2012 or early January 2013, and mid-March of 2013, he drove that drug dealer to meetings in Butte and Missoula at which the drug dealer obtained a total of approximately one and one-half pounds of methamphetamine and which the drug dealer then distributed in Big Timber and Sidney.

The Defendant stated that, in approximately mid-April 2013, he obtained approximately seven grams of methamphetamine from a drug dealer in Fairview which he in turn distributed to others. Vaira said that several days later, at the behest of that drug dealer, he drove to Butte and obtained one-half pound of methamphetamine which he then drove to Sidney and distributed some of the drugs to the Fairview-based drug dealer and some of the drugs to others he knew in the Sidney area.

Several days later, Vaira made another drug run to Butte and obtained another half-pound of methamphetamine which he brought back to the Fairview-based drug dealer and other drug dealers in the Sidney area.