Missoula meth dealer sentenced to prison

MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine in the community for several years was sentenced today to 12 years in prison and five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Dustin Lee McGough, 41, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to distribute meth.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

The prosecution said in court documents that evidence from at least 13 confidential informants would show that McGough was a prolific meth dealer in the Missoula from the spring of 2015 through June 2019 and that he obtained meth mostly from California and brought it back to Missoula. When the Missoula County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at McGough's residence and vehicle in March 2018, officers found meth, heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime in Montana increased by 36% from 2013 to 2018. 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.