GREAT FALLS – A Helena man accused of trafficking methamphetamine and of possessing a stolen gun admitted charges on Monday, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said today.
Robert Raymond Fasuga, 38, pleaded guilty during an arraignment and plea change hearing to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession of a stolen firearm as charged in a superseding information. Fasuga faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the conspiracy charge and a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the firearm charge.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set sentencing for Oct. 13. Fasuga was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents filed in the case, the prosecution alleged that on June 14, 2020, Fasuga possessed at least one stolen firearm after he fled from law enforcement, pulled two firearms from his person and pointed them to his head. Officers talked him down, and Fasuga later told agents that he assumed the guns were stolen because he paid $50 for each one. Mountain Man Trading Post in Belgrade was the lawful owner of a .380 pistol recovered from Fasuga on that date. In addition, the government alleged that further investigation determined that Fasuga was a meth dealer. On March 24, 2021, during the execution of a federal search warrant, agents found about one pound of meth that Fasuga intended to sell and $6,779 in U.S. currency believed to be drug proceeds.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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