A Kalispell man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the Flathead area after he led law enforcement on a high-speed chase was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Kenneth Martin Chandler, 43, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth.
In April 2021, when Flathead County Street Crimes Unit attempted a traffic stop of Chandler’s vehicle, he led officers on a high-speed chase through Kalispell before eventually crashing into another vehicle. According to court records, Chandler then fled the scene on foot but was soon arrested. In a later search of Chandler’s vehicle, officers located meth, heroin, drug paraphernalia, more than $9,000 in U.S. currency, and two assault-style rifles. Law enforcement also learned that Chandler was distributing meth in the Flathead area.
The Northwest Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation. 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case.