Billings methamphetamine trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison

BILLINGS—A Billings man who admitted supplying meth to others for distribution and to having firearms was sentenced today to 15 years and one month in prison and to five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Chad Allen Beres, 32, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possessing with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The prosecution said in court records filed in the case that Billings Police officers arrested co-defendant Christopher Hurst at a hotel on Feb. 27, 2018. During a search of the room, officers found meth and a firearm. Hurst admitted receiving from four to eight ounces of meth nearly every day from his suppliers and that he had received at least 15 pounds of meth that he distributed.

Agents identified Beres as a supplier of Hurst’s and also learned that co-defendant Larry Barnett also got meth from Beres. Agents served a search warrant on Beres’ residence and seized about 700 grams of meth, which is about 1.5 pounds and the equivalent of about 5,600 doses. Agents also seized three shotguns and two handguns.

Hurst and Barnett were both convicted in the case. Hurst was sentenced to 12 years in prison while Barnett was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the FBI and BPD.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.