Great Falls Man Sentenced for Heroin and Methamphetamine Distribution

GREAT FALLS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that 42-year old Brian Weber of Great Falls was sentenced to 180 months in prison, 10 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.  U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the hearing. 

Brian Weber distributed heroin and methamphetamine in Great Falls for over three years, spanning from 2014 through early 2017.  During part of this time, Weber resided at the pre-release center and distributed heroin and methamphetamine around Great Falls, as well as to residents at the center.  The FBI investigated Weber and identified numerous individuals in Great Falls who received their narcotics from Weber.   

Weber has an extensive criminal history of prior felony violent crimes and a federal drug conviction, including violence against family members, girlfriends and members within his drug network.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley and investigated by the Federal Bureau of 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

“Brian Weber is a dangerous criminal with a substantial criminal history. Because of that, we asked for an enhanced sentence provided by statute to make sure Weber is removed from our communities for a long time,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. “I want to thank Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Betley and the FBI’s Regional Violent Crime Task Force, in western Montana, including officers from Montana Probation and Parole and the sheriff’s offices in Lewis and Clark and Missoula counties and the Missoula Police Department, for helping to get this case successfully prosecuted,” Alme said.

“The substantial sentence Brian Weber received today is the result of the unwavering commitment and cooperation by the partner agencies of the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force (MRVCTF),” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Barnhart. “The crimes he has been found guilty of undermine the security of our society, and the communities Mr. Weber threatened are safer today with him behind bars. The FBI is grateful to the MRVCTF – including the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s office, the Missoula Police Department and the Montana Probation and Parole Bureau – as well as the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhood for their dedication to this case.”

“Through our cooperative agreement to join FBI’s Regional Violent Crime Task Force, we are making Lewis and Clark County a safer place to live. This task force is an effective way to deal with crime at the county, state and national level,” said Sheriff Leo C. Dutton.

“This is another example of the successes of our partnership with the FBI Regional Violent Crime Task Force,” Missoula County Sheriff TJ McDermott said. “We are fortunate to have an incredibly hard-working group of people who genuinely care about keeping our community a safer place to live.”