A Washington man who admitted to bringing methamphetamine to the Flathead Indian Reservation for redistribution was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson.
Alberto Escareno-Sanchez, 27, of Sunnyside, Washington pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth.
In January 2019, Flathead Tribal Police officers pulled over a vehicle in which Escareno-Sanchez was a passenger, according to court documents. Investigators later searched the vehicle pursuant to a warrant and found meth, a firearm and other drug paraphernalia.
Law enforcement served a search warrant on Escareno-Sanchez’s residence in July 2020 where they found meth, heroin, two handguns and $14,286, which he said belonged to him, according to court documents.
Confidential informants assisted Escareno-Sanchez with distributing pounds of meth in Flathead and Lake counties and indicated to law enforcement that the defendant made trips to Washington to get meth for distribution on the Flathead Reservation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. 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.