Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office Recent Sentencings

Narcotics

Joseph Randall Summerlin, 52, of Billings, Montana, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, in May 2025, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) learned that Summerlin was selling methamphetamine on the Wind River Reservation. Special agents conducted a controlled buy, purchasing more than one ounce of methamphetamine from him. DCI investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Summerlin was indicted Sept. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty May 27, 2026. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence Sept. 9, 2026, in Cheyenne. Case No. 25CR00137-01KHR

About the United States Attorney’s Office

The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. 

The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:

Project Safe Childhood

Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.

Operation Take Back America

Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Victim Witness Program

The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.

To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime