FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 14, 2008
STEPHANIE ANN FOX 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 Billings, on February 14, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, STEPHANIE ANN FOX, a 26-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. FOX was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 120 months
- Special Assessment: $200
- Supervised Release: 5 years
FOX was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
From an unknown date believed to be in 2003, up to the present, FOX and several other individuals were involved in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
On January 26, 2005, FOX, was in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic Taurus in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
FOX faces possible penalties of a mandatory 10 years in prison and could be sentenced to the maximum of life in prison, a $4,000,000 fine and 5 years supervised release. In addition, FOX 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
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that FOX will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, FOX 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 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.
