Butte meth trafficker sentenced to more than seven years in prison

MISSOULA — A Butte man identified as a major drug supplier in an investigation was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Juan Jose Romero, 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth, in December 2023.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

In court documents the government allege that Romero was identified as a major drug supplier in Butte, and that a source told law enforcement about having purchased heroin from Romero while Romero was in the Butte Pre-Release Center. Agents contacted Romero at his apartment after they learned he had absconded from felony supervision. In a search of his residence, agents located a loaded .22 magazine, two cell phones and drug paraphernalia. In December 2022, law enforcement in Butte conducted a traffic stop on Romero and located 29 grams of meth, two firearms, drug paraphernalia and 14 suspected fentanyl pills in the vehicle. Romero admitted he was selling meth.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI conducted the investigation.

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.

XXX