FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
HEATHER HEDGES PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on October 10, 2007, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, HEATHER HEDGES (FRANKLIN), a 31-year-old resident of Billings, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Sentencing is set for January 16, 2008. She is currently detained.
At the change of plea proceeding, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
During 2003 and 2004, HEDGES was involved in a conspiracy with other individuals to possess with the intent to distribute over 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of marijuana in the Billings area.
HEDGES faces possible penalties of a mandatory 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to the maximum of 40 years in prison, a $2,000,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Seykora prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
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