An inmate operating a drug trafficking organization from inside a California state prison pleaded guilty to federal drug charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said on Aug. 4.
Dion Andre Davis II, 39, admitted to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. U.S. District Judge Kathleen S. Lane presided over the plea hearing and will determine Davis’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2, 2026.
According to court documents, Davis led a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation across multiple states while incarcerated by using contraband mobile phones in his cell. Law enforcement began investigating in June 2023 when Christina Hill and Nathan Wilnau were found selling illicit drugs in Billings, Montana. Hill was identified as a local leader who sent money to California for shipments of fentanyl and methamphetamine destined for Billings and Cody, Wyoming.
Hill was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison on charges related to drug possession and money laundering; Wilnau received an 11-year sentence in June for methamphetamine possession charges. During the investigation, officers discovered images on Hill’s phone showing FedEx receipts for packages mailed from California as well as pictures of large sums of cash matching those dates. Investigators also found text conversations between Hill and Davis about orders totaling $72,500 worth of fentanyl and $96,000 worth of methamphetamine.
A search warrant executed on Davis’s phones revealed messages instructing associates—including Hill—on distributing drugs throughout Wyoming and Montana; he also demanded payments and discussed ways to avoid law enforcement detection before his contraband phones were confiscated in April 2024.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigations conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), part of Operation Take Back America coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices nationwide, brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies along with prosecutors, “to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe.” PSN focuses on rapid federal response to violent crime offenders; strong partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; accountability through prosecution or other strategies; complementing broader Department of Justice initiatives addressing public safety challenges.