FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 15, 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 April 15, 2008, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah C. Lynch, the following individual was arraigned:
CHRISTOPHER PAUL SMITH, a resident of Missoula, appeared on charges of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a machinegun. He is currently detained. If convicted of these charges, SMITH faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and could be sentenced to life, a $4,000,000 fine and 5 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 conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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.
