FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 01, 2008
INFORMATIONAL: FEDERAL COURT ARRAIGNMENT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula, on January 31, 2008, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, the following individual was arraigned:
CHRISTOPHER PAUL SMITH, a 24-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared on charges of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, SMITH faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $2,000,000 fine and 3 years supervised release. In addition, SMITH faces an additional mandatory five year imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence, for the use or possession of a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime or in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Van de Wetering is the prosecutor for the United States. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
The defendant pled not guilty to the charges.
The charge, an indictment, information or complaint, is merely an accusation and any person named as a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. A pre-trial conference and a trial date will be set and the United States will be required to prove the allegations set forth in the indictment beyond a reasonable doubt.
