FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 25, 2008
RODRICK NATHAN BEECH AND ANTHONY NORMAN SMITH 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 Helena, on July 25, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, ANTHONY NORMAN SMITH, a 32-year-old resident of Bozeman, and RODRICK NATHAN BEECH, a 37-year-old resident of Townsend, appeared for sentencing.
SMITH was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 72 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 5 years
BEECH was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 70 months
- Supervised Release: 5 years
They were sentenced in connection with their guilty pleas to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. BEECH also pled guilty to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
Between April of 2006, and continuing through July of 2007, BEECH and SMITH were involved in a conspiracy with several other individuals to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine in Meagher, Mineral, Lewis and Clark, and Gallatin counties.
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 Paulette L. Stewart prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Bozeman and Helena Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Meagher County Sheriff's Office, the Mineral County Sheriff's Office and the Montana Highway Patrol.
