- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
MISSOULA — A Washington man who admitted to bringing methamphetamine to the Flathead Indian Reservation for redistribution was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 years in prison plus five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said in a statement.
Alberto Escareno-Sanchez, 27, of Sunnyside, Washington, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute meth.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
The government alleged that Flathead Tribal Police officers pulled over a vehicle in which Escareno-Sanchez was a passenger in January 2019. During a later search of the vehicle pursuant to a warrant, investigators found meth, a firearm, and other drug paraphernalia.
In July 2020, law enforcement served a search warrant on Escareno-Sanchez’s residence and found meth, heroin, two handguns, and $14,286 in currency. Escareno-Sanchez told law enforcement that the drugs, a gun, and the money belonged to him. Confidential informants also indicated to law enforcement that Escareno-Sanchez made trips to Washington to get meth for distribution on the Flathead Reservation.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through the project, 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.
More Stories Like This
MMIP Red Dress Installation Vandalized in AlaskaNCAI Mid Year Underway on Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Homelands
Native News Weekly (June 3, 2023): D.C. Briefs
House Passes Bipartisan Debt Ceiling Deal; How Native American Members of Congress Voted
History Made as First Navajo Appointed U.S. Federal Judge in California
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
