FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
DONALD M. GREEN 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 Great Fallls, on July 1, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, DONALD M. GREEN, a 53-year-old resident of Wolf Point, appeared for sentencing. GREEN was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 68 months
- Special Assessment: $300
- Supervised Release: 4 years
GREEN was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and maintaining drug involved premises.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On August 19, 2007, a confidential informant (CI) working with the Big Muddy River Drug Task Force purchased methamphetamine from GREEN. The drug transaction occurred inside GREEN'S home located in Wolf Point. The CI was wearing a hidden microphone at the time and the drug sale was recorded.
During the drug transaction, GREEN agreed to sell a bindle of methamphetamine to the CI for $200. GREEN retrieved methamphetamine from a location within his home and gave it to the CI in exchange for payment. The CI paid the defendant $220. The CI told GREEN the extra $20 was because of the short notice of the purchase. The serial numbers of the buy money had been previously recorded by law enforcement.
The CI told GREEN that he was interested in purchasing more methamphetamine in the future, possibly up to an ounce. GREEN gave the CI his cell phone number and told him to call the following morning. The CI left GREEN'S home and delivered the methamphetamine to drug task force officers.
The following day, the CI called GREEN and they made arrangements to meet at GREEN'S home later that morning for another drug transaction. The CI arrived at GREEN'S home shortly before 10:30 a.m. Inside the house, GREEN, in exchange for $900 cash, gave the CI approximately 8 grams of a substance GREEN identified as containing methamphetamine. The serial numbers of the buy money had been previously recorded by law enforcement. The CI took the methamphetamine and departed GREEN'S home. The CI then delivered the methamphetamine to drug task force officers who were standing by.
Shortly after the purchase, officers conducting surveillance on GREEN'S home saw GREEN leaving the house in a pick-up truck. A deputy from the Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office stopped GREEN and arrested him for drug distribution. Located on GREEN'S person were 17 bindles of methamphetamine packaged for individual sale, cocaine, a digital scale, bindle papers, and U.S. currency bearing serial numbers of the buy money provided to the CI.
Officers obtained a search warrant to search GREEN'S home. Inside the home, officers found methamphetamine, cocaine, drug packaging materials and over $30,000 of U.S. currency. A majority of the drugs were individually packaged in separate bindles. In addition to the drugs, officers also found digital scales, bindle papers, and other paraphernalia indicating distribution. Multiple shotguns, rifles and ammunition were also found in the home during the search.
The suspected controlled substances from the drug buys and the seizures were tested by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Western Laboratory. The substances tested positive for methamphetamine and cocaine.
GREEN was originally charged in state court with multiple narcotics offenses stemming from these transactions. While on bond, GREEN absconded and was later apprehended out-of-state.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that GREEN will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, GREEN 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 Richard A. Hosley prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Big Muddy River Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wolf Point Police Department and the Roosevelt County Sheriff's Office.
