The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Missoula, on Sept. 25, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, DANIEL AARON ROY, a 33-year-old resident of Missoula, was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 144 months
Special Assessment: $100
Supervised Release: 5 years
ROY was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
In early 2013, information was obtained from two confidential informants that ROY was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine. One of the CI's indicated that he/she was aware that ROY received some type of settlement in which he obtained about $20,000 around November of 2012, and that around that same time ROY began making monthly trips, via rental vehicles, to Washington to obtain pound quantities of methamphetamine to bring back to Montana for distribution. A CI stated that ROY had a storage unit where he kept a safe and that after making methamphetamine runs, ROY would leave the bulk of his methamphetamine in the safe and return to the storage unit as needed to replenish his supply. ROY had also bragged to a CI about keeping money in his safe as "go" money in case he is stopped by the cops to allow him to get out of town. A CI further indicated that ROY kept firearms inside the storage unit and inside his trailer that were given to him as payment for a bad drug debt.
Law Enforcement issued a subpoena to a rental car agency and was able to determine that ROY had rented vehicles consistent with some of the time frames indicated by the CI.
Around Jan. 23, 2013, information was obtained that ROY was planning on making a trip to obtain methamphetamine from a different source of supply in California. On Jan. 25, 2013 a Montana State search warrant was obtained and a tracker was placed on a rental car prior to ROY obtaining the rental. After ROY rented the car, he traveled to his storage unit, where he removed a large black plastic storage container and placed it into the storage unit (viewed/recorded by pole camera). ROY then drove to his trailer and eventually left town in the rental car later that evening.
On Feb. 1, 2013, via the tracker, it was determined that ROY was coming back toward Missoula. Two search warrants were applied for and granted. The first was for the vehicle ROY had rented and the second search warrant was for ROY's trailer and his storage unit.
On the morning of Feb. 2, 2013, Missoula County Sheriff's Office Deputies conducted a traffic stop on ROY's rental vehicle on Interstate-90 in Missoula County. Following the traffic stop, the search warrants were executed on ROY's rental vehicle, storage locker, and residence. During the search of the vehicle, two safes were located in the trunk of the vehicle. The keys to these safes were on the key ring in ROY's possession along with the key to his storage unit. One safe contained approximately 452 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a Witness 40 caliber S&W handgun with a loaded magazine. The second smaller safe contained documents belonging to ROY, along with drug paraphernalia (spoon, baggies, and cut straw), 26 grams of suspected methamphetamine, and numerous pharmaceutical pills. ROY also had a small amount of suspected methamphetamine on his person. A search of the storage unit resulted in the seizure of $4,012 U.S. currency, user quantities of suspected heroin, user quantities of suspected methamphetamine, six firearms, ammunition, and user quantities of suspected marijuana. The suspected methamphetamine, scale, packaging materials, and numerous other items of drug paraphernalia were located within the black plastic container that TFOs observed ROY placing in the storage locker days before.
A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of approximately four grams of marijuana, miscellaneous packaging materials, a Bud Light hide-a-can, a digital scale, suspected marijuana, and approximately 95 grams of suspected Psilocybin (hallucinogenic mushrooms).
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that ROY will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, ROY 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 a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
