Great Falls Woman Sentenced to 20 years in Prison on Meth Charges

A resident of Great Falls, Melissa Ann Barone, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for her role in a conspiracy to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine, as announced by U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. Additionally, the government has forfeited nearly $75,000 in cash, a firearm, a BMW, and a motorhome. At the age of 55, Barone pleaded guilty in December 2024 to the charge of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided over the case. According to court documents, law enforcement officials discovered in 2020 that Melissa Barone and her co-defendant were engaged in the distribution of multiple pounds of methamphetamine in and around Great Falls. From 2020 to 2024, various drug associates alerted authorities about the pair’s distribution activities and their travels to Colorado, Washington, and Arizona to procure methamphetamine for redistribution in Montana. Sources indicated that they purchased one-pound quantities of methamphetamine, totaling between six and eight pounds over a span of 10 months from 2020 to 2021. In 2022 and 2023, reports indicated that Barone was trafficking half or full eightballs of methamphetamine on behalf of her co-defendant, who was acquiring between 50 and 100 pounds at a time, spending upwards of $100,000 in bulk purchases. Furthermore, Barone and her co-defendant were acquiring vehicles and recreational vehicles at auto auctions with cash transactions. In a traffic stop conducted in February 2023, law enforcement officers intercepted a vehicle operated by the defendants as they returned to Montana from Texas. A K-9 detection dog indicated the presence of narcotics, leading to the discovery of $17,000 in cash secured with rubber bands and placed in the seatbelt. On May 5, 2024, law enforcement executed a warrant, resulting in Barone's arrest in Great Falls. A search of her purse uncovered approximately 444.4 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, and related paraphernalia. Her vehicle contained $7,911 in cash, along with 46.3 grams of methamphetamine and additional drug paraphernalia. Authorities also located $5,000 in cash in a vacuum-sealed bag concealed beneath the rear seat of the BMW owned by her co-defendant. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the investigation was conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force. This investigation fell under the jurisdiction of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which is dedicated to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For further details regarding the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

Great Falls Woman Sentenced to 20 years in Prison on Meth Charges

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