Distribute Cocaine

Shon Flores Sentenced in U.S. District Court


The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on March 31, 2010, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, SHON FLORES, a 32-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. FLORES was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 75 months
• Special Assessment: $100
• Supervised Release: five years
• FLORES was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute cocaine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Seykora, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

From August 2008 and June 2009, FLORES was distributing an array of cocaine in Billings, Missoula, and other areas of Montana by and through co-conspirators. His co-conspirators were a loosely knit group of former and current football players and coaches for the Billings Outlaws, a professional indoor football team.

T.C. was one of the main distributors for FLORES in Billings. FLORES traveled to Salt Lake City on numerous occasions either by himself or had other conspirators drive there to pick up cocaine for redistribution. Quantities received by FLORES himself included six ounces, quarter kilo, and half kilos of cocaine at one time. A total of approximately nine kilograms were received during the period of the conspiracy from his source of supply.

During the period of the conspiracy, the DEA and FBI working in conjunction, made undercover purchases and controlled buys of cocaine, by and through FLORES, T.C. and other co-conspirators, as follows:

Date Amount of Cocaine

10/28/08 12.6 grams
11/06/08 13.3 grams
11/21/08 27.3 grams
12/05/08 28.0 grams
01/13/09 28.2 grams
01/28/09 28.1 grams
02/05/09 27.8 grams
02/05/09 27.9 grams
02/23/09 28.0 grams
02/24/09 27.9 grams
02/24/09 27.9 grams
04/08/09 28.1 grams
06/07/09 51.9 grams
06/10/09 26.6 grams

On July 2, 2009, FLORES admitted to law enforcement that he was involved in a conspiracy and that the amount of cocaine involved was roughly nine kilograms. The cocaine was distributed to various individuals and groups throughout the Billings community, including business owners, professionals, and salesmen.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that FLORES will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, FLORES does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.