Micah Garret Waltenbaugh Sentenced In U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on April 23, 2012, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, MICAH GARRET WALTENBAUGH, a 25-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. WALTENBAUGH was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 12 months and 1 day

Special Assessment: $100

Supervised Release: 5 years

WALTENBAUGH was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine.

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

In July of 2011, Eastern Montana HIDTA agents developed a Confidential Informant (CI) who began purchasing methamphetamine from a former Sureno gang member in Billings. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement repeatedly heard the name Micah Waltenbaugh. Investigators learned WALTENBAUGH was a methamphetamine distributor to several individuals in the Billings area. Agents also learned that WALTENBAUGH's source of supply for his methamphetamine was moving large quantities of methamphetamine into the greater Yellowstone County area.

Later in the investigation law enforcement obtained recorded telephone calls and corroborating statements between the source of supply and one of his distributors that discussed WALTENBAUGH's distribution of methamphetamine. The same calls and evidence discussed WALTENBAUGH's drug debt owed to the source of supply for the methamphetamine they provided to him for distribution.

During the course of his involvement in the larger conspiracy, from August 2010 to September 2011, WALTENBAUGH personally distributed at least 2 pounds of methamphetamine in the Billings area.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that WALTENBAUGH will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, WALTENBAUGH 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 Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.