A Big Timber resident, James Karl Ellis, 38, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
According to court documents, on November 26, 2023, law enforcement obtained a video showing Ellis at his residence in Big Timber, Montana. The footage depicted Ellis retrieving an item from a large safe in his garage and handing a bag containing what appeared to be a white powdery substance to a woman identified as a known narcotics user by deputies. Authorities subsequently secured a search warrant for Ellis’s home.
During the search conducted on November 27, 2023, officers found about 300 grams of methamphetamine stored both in the garage safe and in a locked closet within Ellis’s bedroom.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office and investigated by the Sweetgrass County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates law enforcement efforts at various levels to reduce violent crime and gun violence. In May 2021, the Department introduced a new strategy for PSN focused on building community trust, supporting local organizations that work to prevent violence, prioritizing targeted enforcement actions, and evaluating outcomes. More details about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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