Christina Lavon Hill, a 43-year-old resident of Billings, was sentenced on July 24 to 15 years and three months in prison for her role in a multistate drug trafficking operation, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith. Hill pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Both sentences will run concurrently, followed by supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case. Prosecutors said Hill helped bring methamphetamine and fentanyl from California into Wyoming and Billings. Law enforcement began investigating in June 2023 after learning that Hill and Nathan Wilnau were selling illegal drugs in Billings. Authorities described Hill as a leader who sent money to a source in San Francisco, who then shipped illicit drugs to Billings and Cody, Wyoming.
Wilnau was stopped by law enforcement on his return trip from Cody after retrieving a package; officers found more than ten pounds of methamphetamine during the search of his vehicle. Investigators also discovered that the source in Cody had previously received several packages of meth for Hill. Wilnau was sentenced to eleven years in prison on meth possession charges in June 2026.
Further investigation revealed records on Hill’s phone showing she conducted nineteen financial transactions totaling about $38,300 with four other people between July 2022 and April 2024. Many transactions coincided with United States Postal Service shipments addressed to Hill as well as text messages placing orders for methamphetamine and fentanyl. A package sent on July 26, 2024, intended for Hill was intercepted by law enforcement; it contained three pounds of methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case while the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation led the investigation efforts.
Project Safe Neighborhoods is described as a nationwide initiative coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices across all federal districts aimed at combating violent crime through rapid response, strategic partnerships among law enforcement agencies at all levels, accountability measures including prosecution of serious offenses, deterrence strategies, and supporting President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces for comprehensive public safety responses, according to the Department of Justice.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana focuses on protecting citizens through ethical federal law enforcement while maintaining offices across Billings, Great Falls, Helena, and Missoula; it is part of the Department of Justice under appointment by the Attorney General, according to its official website.