The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on March 13, 2013, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, DAVID JOSEPH SANDERS, a 49-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. SANDERS was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 135 months
Special Assessment: $200
Supervised Release: 3 years
SANDERS was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to distribution of oxycodone.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
From February 2012 until May 14, 2012, SANDERS sold oxycodone and dilaudid (hydromorphone) to undercover law enforcement officers in Billings.
SANDERS received prescription pills from other people in the Billings area and then sold them to undercover officers. SANDERS sold oxycodone and dilaudid on Feb. 24, March 28, and April 16, 2012.
On May 14, 2012, SANDERS was arrested in a buy/bust operation.
In total, officers purchased 167 dilaudid and 100 oxycodone pills from SANDERS. On May 14, 2012, the officers recovered 69 dilaudid and 40 oxycodone pills.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that SANDERS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, SANDERS does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
