Sean Kelly Sentenced To Five Years In Prison For Meth

The United States Attorney's Office announced that SEAN MICHAEL KELLY, 37, of Columbia Falls, was sentenced to 63 months in prison followed by 5 years supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy on March 14, 2014. In December 2013, the defendant pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliot told the Court in an Offer of Proof that Northwest Drug Task Force Agents received information from a confidential source that Kelly was actively involved with the distribution of dangerous drugs and made daily rounds throughout the valley to resupply people that are selling drugs for him.

Agents obtained a search warrant to attach a GPS tracking device to the vehicle used by defendant Kelly and followed the vehicle between Idaho and Montana by use of the GPS between December 6, 2012 and January 3, 2013. On January 3, 2013 Deputies observed the

Chevrolet pickup traveling on Hwy 83. The vehicle had a headlight out and a traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was defendant Kelly. Kelly had an active warrant for his arrest and was detained on this warrant. The vehicle was then towed to a Flathead County secure storage facility in anticipation of a search warrant.

On January 7, 2013, Agents applied for and received a Montana State District Court search warrant for the 2002 Chevrolet Pickup truck. During the search NWDTF Agents located a black zippered case inside of a coat on the front passenger seat of the truck. Inside the case (often referred to as a kit) Agents found six syringes, a spoon, and a jewel bag containing 1 gram of methamphetamine. As agents searched further they found a package located within the tail-gate. The package was wrapped in several layers of plastic, coffee grounds, carbon paper and duct tape. The package contained approximately 423 grams of pure methamphetamine.

The term "pure methamphetamine" refers to the purity contained in the transacted amount which is usually "cut" with inert ingredients that make the actual product less pure but more profitable as drugs are generally sold based on quantity not quality.