Billings Man Sentenced For Cocaine Dealing And Gun Charges

A Billings, Montana man has been sentenced to over 5 years in jail and 8 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to drug and firearms charges. The case has taken nearly 3 years to work through the court system.

The arrest and criminal case were part of the Operation Takeback America initiative that "marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."

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Billings Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Drug and Firearm Charges

The initial case began in December of 2023, when Billings police were alerted by a local business about possible drug deals happening in their parking lot. The same car would arrive and park, other vehicles would arrive and then leave after meeting with the individual.

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Investigators were able to locate the car, registered to Satchel Vernard McDonald, 29, of Billings. The Montana Highway Patrol pulled over McDonald for speeding on January 6, 2024. After initial contact with officers "McDonald acknowledged he had cocaine and a handgun in his car. He also told investigators he had been dealing cocaine for about six months and that he had cocaine, firearms, and a large quantity of cash at his residence."

Warrant Search Nets Even More Drugs and Weapons - Defendant Pleads Guilty

After a warrant was obtained for McDonald's residence, officers found "an additional handgun, an assault-style rifle, a shotgun, $27,877 in cash, a Rolex, and just under a pound of cocaine."

After hearing testimony, U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer sentenced McDonald to 10 months in prison and three years of supervised release on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was also sentenced to five years in prison and five years of supervised release on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The two sentences will run consecutively.