MISSOULA - A Kalispell woman who admitted to conspiring to traffic methamphetamine in the Flathead Valley after acknowledging she had planned to take possession of a two-pound package of the drug was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Destinee Rayne Hardesty, 40, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Hardesty assisted in the distribution of large amounts of meth in the Flathead Valley. In March 2020 in Kalispell, law enforcement officers made a controlled delivery of a package previously determined to contain two pounds of meth to a Kalispell residence. Hardesty walked up to the residence and when interviewed, admitted that she had planned to take possession of the package and distribute the meth to various customers in Kalispell. Hardesty further admitted that she communicated with other co-conspirators about when the drugs were arriving and opened three packages of meth and separated the drug into quantities for delivery. Hardesty further admitted she had made about 50 deliveries of meth over a year, kept the drug at her residence and was involved in paying for the meth shipments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northwest Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Missoula Drug Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
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Source: USAO - Montana
