A Washington man has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. Skyler Christian Crowder, 31, received a sentence of 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty in July 2025.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.
Court documents indicate that on October 7, 2024, law enforcement responded to a report about a fentanyl pill found in a Missoula motel room occupied by Crowder. Motel staff reported that Crowder had requested to move rooms and disposed of his own trash, which was considered unusual behavior. Officers searched the outside garbage and found two vacuum-sealed bags—one containing remnants of a blue pill—and drug paraphernalia.
Surveillance footage revealed that around 12 people visited Crowder's room within a 24-hour period, with several appearing to be under the influence of drugs. Authorities said this activity suggested illegal drug sales were taking place.
When law enforcement contacted Crowder in his new motel room and obtained a search warrant, they discovered methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, and firearms.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana and investigated by the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force along with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
According to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme: "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."
