A Billings resident has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to drug and firearm charges. Jessie Craig Iverson, 37, admitted to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating Iverson in November and December 2023 after receiving information that he was distributing methamphetamine in Billings. Investigators found that Iverson typically sold several ounces of meth at a time and carried a firearm for protection during drug transactions.
On December 7, 2023, agents learned Iverson planned to travel to Washington state to obtain methamphetamine. Authorities placed a GPS tracker on his vehicle and monitored stops made in Thompson Falls, Montana as well as Spokane and Vancouver, Washington. When Iverson returned to Montana on December 12, officers conducted a traffic stop near Butte. The Montana Highway Patrol searched him and found a loaded North American Arms .22 caliber revolver in his sweatshirt pocket along with 91 grams of methamphetamine. A subsequent search of the truck revealed a bag containing “M30” fentanyl pills hidden inside a Hot Tamales container as well as multiple bags with meth residue.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger. Agencies involved in the investigation included the DEA, Eastern Montana HIDTA, Montana Highway Patrol, and Billings Police Department.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. “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 visit Justice.gov/PSN.
