FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 16, 2008
SCOTT BLANTON 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 May 16, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, SCOTT BLANTON, a resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing.
BLANTON was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 240 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 10 years
He was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
At the sentencing proceeding, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
BLANTON was involved with several other individuals in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that they will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, they do 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, the City-County Special Investigation Unit in Billings, the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, and the Madison County Sheriff's Office.
