A Billings man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine distribution operation. Mario Baudelio Nava, 38, received a sentence of 144 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty in April 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Nava on April 2, 2024, after receiving information from a confidential source about a woman supplying methamphetamine. Officers were already familiar with details provided by the source and knew that Nava had recently moved into the same residence as the woman.
Surveillance was conducted at the residence, where officers observed Nava coming and going. Later that day, the female subject contacted the confidential source and offered to sell one ounce of methamphetamine for $350. Law enforcement watched as she left the residence and went to a prearranged meeting location, where she was detained and admitted to possessing one ounce of meth.
During an interview, the woman told investigators she had received the meth from Nava and had sold approximately nine to ten ounces for him over the past year. She also said she believed Nava currently possessed about half a pound of methamphetamine.
The woman agreed to call Nava for a ride, which allowed law enforcement to follow him to the meeting location and take him into custody.
A search of Nava’s vehicle under parole conditions led detectives to seize roughly 1,397 grams of a substance containing methamphetamine, a large amount of cash, and a stolen 9mm handgun. Detectives then obtained a warrant for Nava’s residence, where they found more methamphetamine, additional currency, and drug paraphernalia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The investigation involved the Billings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and Eastern Montana HIDTA.
"This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN," according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
