Pablo man and woman sentenced to 10 years each in prison for drug trafficking

MISSOULA – A Pablo man and woman who both admitted trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine were sentenced today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Thomas Joseph Spotted Eagle, 42, was sentenced to 121 months in prison and five years of supervised release.  His co-defendant, Veronica Egan Partida, 40, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.  Both defendants pleaded guilty in January 2025 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

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

The government alleged in court documents that On April 17, 2024, Flathead Tribal Police and the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force stopped Thomas Spotted Eagle when he left his residence in a vehicle. Spotted Eagle had an outstanding arrest warrant and was on federal supervision. The officers saw him ducking and reaching around frantically as he was stopping his car. The vehicle was searched, and law enforcement seized a black fanny pack under the driver’s seat that had several sandwich baggies with methamphetamine, a glass pipe, a blue fentanyl pill, and $934. Spotted Eagle said the methamphetamine was not his but admitted to attempting to hide it.

Officers then searched Spotted Eagle’s and co-defendant Veronica Partida’s residence. They found Partida, along with a digital scale with drug residue, a shotgun inside a baby crib, approximately 390 grams of methamphetamine, a bag with four blue fentanyl pills, a measuring spoon, small, empty baggies, a wallet with Partida’s identification and $1,710 cash. In another room officers located more methamphetamine, $140 cash, approximately 195 fentanyl pills and powder. Partida admitted she and Spotted Eagle shared the room in the house where the large amount of methamphetamine was found. She stated it was all hers and admitted that she intended to sell the drugs.

Officers spoke to Spotted Eagle’s work supervisor, who admitted to obtaining methamphetamine daily from Spotted Eagle since winter of 2023. He said the last time he obtained meth from Spotted Eagle was on April 16, 2024, and reported seeing Spotted Eagle on three different occasions with a gallon sized Ziploc bag containing a large amount of methamphetamine. He also was aware Spotted Eagle supplied methamphetamine to another person on four different occasions.

The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Northwest Montana Drug 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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