BILLINGS - A Billings man accused of selling methamphetamine, morphine and oxycodone admitted to drug and firearms charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Kevin James Maslen, 55, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and will recommend Maslen’s plea be accepted by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters, who is hearing the case. Maslen was a released pending sentencing.
Maslen faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said evidence showed that beginning in June 2017, an undercover agent bought methamphetamine, morphine and oxycodone from Maslen. In one of the buys, the undercover agent bought morphine and two firearms from Maslen. A search warrant was executed on Maslen’s residence in May 2018 and law enforcement found about 30 grams of meth, 83 oxycodone tablets and additional firearms. Maslen admitted to dealing in meth and pills during an interview with the Drug Enforcement Administration. The total amount of meth seized was about 78 grams.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the DEA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
