MISSOULA — A man who admitted to dealing controlled substances in the Missoula area for more than two years was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Jamie Scott Chandler, 48, of Alberton, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Chandler distributed methamphetamine and heroin in the Missoula area from about January 2019 through June 2021. Officers with the Missoula Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole arrested Chandler on June 29, 2021 in Missoula County on a state warrant. Officers searched Chandler’s backpack and recovered heroin, meth, packaging materials, and a large amount of U.S. currency. When interviewed, Chandler told law enforcement that he had obtained drugs and provided drugs to others and had purchased the drugs found in his backpack.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.
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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