FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
KATRINA CARNES SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on December 3, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, KATRINA CARNES, a 29-year-old resident of Sacramento, California, appeared for sentencing. CARNES was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 60 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 4 years
CARNES was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
Evan Qunell was a methamphetamine dealer in Great Falls. In late 2006, he began to cooperate with the authorities. He explained to the authorities that he had previously imported methamphetamine from Sacramento, California, to Great Falls with the assistance of his sister, Victoria Qunell.
In December of 2006, Victoria Qunell was arrested for drug trafficking. Following her arrest, she was interviewed by the authorities. Victoria Qunell indicated that around June of 2006 she and CARNES, who was her roommate, delivered one-quarter pound of methamphetamine from Sacramento, California, to Evan Qunell in Great Falls.
The authorities interviewed CARNES. CARNES admitted that, in approximately June of 2006, she and Victoria Qunell transported methamphetamine from Sacramento to Great Falls. CARNES admitted that she aided Victoria Qunell by helping her drive from California to Montana. CARNES also admitted that she knew they were transporting methamphetamine to Great Falls and that she received approximately $200 for the assistance she provided to Victoria Qunell.
Evan Qunell and Victoria Qunell pled guilty to federal charges and have been sentenced.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that CARNES will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, CARNES does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Great Falls Police Department.
