BILLINGS–A Billings man admitted conspiracy charges today after agents investigating methamphetamine trafficking found 32 pounds of meth and $11,380 in cash at his residence, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Byrne Martin Mestas, 62, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. Mestas faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Mestas is detained.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and recommended that Mestas’ plea be accepted by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters, who is hearing the case.

The prosecution said in court records that an investigation into meth trafficking led to Mestas and a co-defendant, Jerry Ray Schuster, of Billings. Schuster pleaded guilty to trafficking crimes in January and is awaiting sentencing.

Law enforcement served a search warrant at Schuster’s and Mestas’ trailer on May 3, 2019. Agents found in the residence a pound of meth, three rifles, drug paraphernalia and receipts corroborating trips to California. A pound of meth is the equivalent of about 3,624 doses. Thirty two pounds of meth is about 115,968 doses.

Agents served a search warrant three days later on four vehicles at the residence. A search of a Suzuki Swift registered to Schuster revealed 30 pounds of meth located in three backpacks, along with $11,380 in cash and receipts documenting travel to California.  In the other three vehicles, agents found about a pound of meth, 100 pills, cash and other items.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.

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BILLINGS – An investigation into a methamphetamine conspiracy led to a Billings man who admitted drug trafficking crimes today after agents found 30 pounds of meth and $11,380 cash in his vehicle, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Jerry Ray Schuster, 56, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and to possession with intent to distribute meth. Schuster faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided and set sentencing for May 7. Schuster was released pending further proceedings.

The prosecution said in court records that an investigation into meth trafficking led to Schuster and a co-defendant, Byrne Mestas. Mestas, 62, of Billings, has pleaded not guilty.

Law enforcement served a search warrant at Schuster’s and Mestas’ trailer on May 3, 2019. In the trailer residence, agents found one pound of meth, three rifles, drug paraphernalia and receipts corroborating trips to California. A pound of meth is the equivalent of about 3,624 doses.

Agents executed a second search warrant three days later on four vehicles located at the Schuster and Mestas residence. A search of a Suzuki Swift registered to Schuster found 30 pounds of meth located in three backpacks, $11,380 in cash and receipts documenting a trip to California. Thirty pounds of meth is the equivalent of about 108,720 doses and has a street value of about $225,000. In the other three vehicles, agents found another pound of meth, 100 pills, cash and other items.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI Task Force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on June 25 was:

Maxwell West, 29, of Billings, on charges of passing/uttering counterfeit obligations or security of the United States. If convicted of the most serious crime, West faces a maximum 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the Secret Service. Pacer case reference. 17-141.

Nicholas John Montano, 34, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Montano faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Montano was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime West unit. Pacer case reference. 18-123.

Appearing on June 27 was:

Byrne Martin Mestas, 62, of Billings, Steven Paul Furlong, 49, of Billings, and Jerry Ray Schuster, 55, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Mestas, Furlong and Schuster face a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. All three co-defendants were detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-88.

Michael Armando Sanchez, 27, of Bakersfield, Ca, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Sanchez faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Sanchez was detained pending further proceedings. The case was in investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-87.

Dawn Marie Davis, also known as Dawn Marie Hinebauch, 33, of Laurel, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime,

Davis faces a minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Davis was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-89.

Havalah Anne Ireland, 32, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Ireland faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the FBI task force and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. Pacer case reference. 19-83.

Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on June 25 was:

Delwin Paul Calflooking, Sr., 37, of Browning, on charges of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, strangulation and assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a dating partner. If convicted of the most serious crime, Calflooking faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Calflooking was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI. Pacer case reference. 19-42.

Appearing on June 26 was:

Nicole Smith, 34, Cut Bank, on charges of possession with intent to distribute. If convicted of the most serious crime, Smith faces a minimum mandatory 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Smith was detained pending further proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Blackfeet Tribal law enforcement. Pacer case reference. 19-46.

If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system.

To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

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