FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
TREVOR McLEOD 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 21, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, TREVOR McLEOD, a 34-year-old resident of Missoula, formerly of Bozeman, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing is set for October 10, 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 January of 2005, agents from the Missouri River Drug Task Force (MRDTF) and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began investigating a significant methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Bozeman. They learned that Antonio Rodriguez-Soriano was bringing large quantities of meth to Montana from Washington. They also learned that Rodriguez was often accompanied by his girlfriend, Stacy Winzenburg, and that some of the methamphetamine was purchased by McLEOD.
After learning of McLEOD'S involvement, law enforcement interviewed him on two occasions. The first interview took place on February 26, 2005. He described his efforts to buy methamphetamine from "Stacy," and admitted to selling approximately two ounces of meth in the preceding two weeks. He knew that Stacy was traveling to Washington with her boyfriend, Antonio Rodriguez-Soriano, to pick up methamphetamine and knew that Rodriguez had been arrested in January near Deer Lodge in possession of a quantity of drugs.
McLEOD was interviewed again on March 3, 2005, and stated that he knew that after Rodriguez was arrested, Winzenburg had taken over for Rodriguez and continued to distribute methamphetamine in the Bozeman area. McLEOD acknowledged buying meth from Winzenburg beginning in January of 2005 and estimated that he purchased approximately 12 ounces from January until the March 3 interview. McLEOD stated he knew that Winzenburg was dealing with Mexican distributors in Washington and that she usually picked up two pounds of meth on each trip. McLEOD reported that he distributed most of the methamphetamine that he obtained from Winzenburg, including giving some to his girlfriend, L.S. During the entirety of his involvement in the conspiracy, McLEOD was on probation with the State of Montana.
On March 8, 2005, Corrine Finnegan was interviewed concerning her involvement in the conspiracy. She discussed a trip that she took to Tacoma, Washington, with McLEOD and others near the end of February of 2005 to pick up methamphetamine. Finnegan stated they purchased 13 ounces of meth for $9,000, and that the money used to pay for the drugs was provided by McLEOD. She also said that McLEOD took sole possession of the 13 ounces of meth and that she bought some of that meth from him when they returned to Bozeman.
Rodriguez-Soriano, Winzenburg and Finnegan pled guilty to federal charges and have been sentenced.
McLEOD 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 Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Missouri River Drug Task Force and 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.
