Timothy J. Racicot Acting United States Attorney for the District of Montana | Wikipedia
A Great Falls resident has been sentenced to more than ten years in prison on charges related to drug possession and distribution. Michael Shawn O’Neill, 59, will serve 128 months in federal prison with an additional five years of supervised release following his sentence. U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced the sentencing.
O’Neill entered a guilty plea in December 2024 to charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided over the case.
Court documents indicated that on September 4, 2023, O’Neill, a convicted felon, was found in possession of thousands of fentanyl pills, firearms, methamphetamine, and heroin during a probation search and subsequent police investigation in Great Falls, Montana. O’Neill disclosed to investigators on September 14, 2023, that he obtained his drug supply from Spokane and indicated he was closely linked to a cartel. "I was moving about 500-800 pills a day, plus an ounce of heroin, plus an ounce of meth – I wasn’t moving that much,” O’Neill stated to agents.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Russell Country Drug Task Force, and Montana Probation and Parole.
This legal action is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence by uniting various levels of law enforcement and community members. The Department of Justice bolstered this initiative on May 26, 2021, to include components like fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention programs, enforcing strategic priorities, and evaluating outcomes. More information on Project Safe Neighborhoods can be accessed at the Department of Justice website.
