FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 19, 2008
CRAIG COOLIDGE PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula on May 16, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, CRAIG COOLIDGE, a 32-year-old resident of Kalispell, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Sentencing is set for October 2, 2008. He is currently released on special conditions.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
In December of 2007, a confidential informant (CI) advised law enforcement agents that COOLIDGE was dealing cocaine in the Kalispell area. The CI provided the agents with information of COOLIDGE'S operations, including where he went for his supply and how he transported it back to Montana.
The CI informed the agents that COOLIDGE would be acquiring another load of cocaine soon and explained how and when it would happen. The CI even provided the name of the driver COOLIDGE would use to drive the cocaine from Arizona to Montana, the day the driver was to arrive in Kalispell, and the day COOLIDGE would fly from Kalispell to Tucson to consummate the deal.
The CI also provided the name of the airline COOLIDGE would be using and the name of the hotel where he would be staying, as well as the name of the rental car company in Kalispell where the driver was to rent a car to take to Tucson to pick up the cocaine. After confirming this information, agents received a warrant and affixed a tracking device to the vehicle before the driver picked it up.
Agents were then able to confirm that the driver picked up the vehicle and drove it to Arizona. The vehicle then headed toward Montana, arriving three days later. ICE agents in Arizona also confirmed that COOLIDGE had traveled to Arizona, just as the informant stated that he would. Once the vehicle was back in Montana, agents stopped and searched the vehicle, recovering approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine.
Agents later searched COOLIDGE'S house and recovered another large quantity of cocaine, approximately 840 grams. Over $13,000 in cash, a kilogram of marijuana, a digital scale, baggies, and a large number of firearms was also recovered during the search of his home.
COOLIDGE faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine and 4 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Van de Wetering prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
