MISSOULA — A Kalispell man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in Flathead County for about two years after law enforcement found more than a pound of the drug, firearms, and cash belonging to him during a search was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Timothy Leo Vleisides, 64, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 25, 2021, law enforcement in Flathead County searched a storage container and vehicle belonging to Vleisides and recovered 472 grams, or a little more than one pound, of meth, two handguns, and $35,360 in U.S. currency. When confronted, Vleisides admitted he had received meth in the mail every other month for the past two years and that he was cleaning out his storage container so law enforcement would not find anything.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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