A 53-year-old Kalispell man and two people from California have been charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute.
John Patrick Figueroa Araujo, 53, of Kalispell, Kristal Patricia Leonard, 34, of Huntington Beach, California, and John Murray Barry, 39, of Palmdale, California are all facing federal charges. If convicted, they face anywhere from 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office the three people were arrested in Missoula on Sept. 18. The three people were in different vehicles at the time of the arrest. When law enforcement searched the vehicles they found 31.5 pounds of meth.
The Northwest Montana Drug Task Force, Homeland Security, Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol, Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Polson Police Department, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Police Department, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Kalispell Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Border Patrol and Two Bear Air all investigated the case.