Five people arrested as part of a yearlong, multi-agency narcotics investigation appeared for arraignment on Oct. 17 on federal indictments alleging fentanyl trafficking charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Officers from multiple federal, state, and local agencies arrested the five defendants on warrants as part of a coordinated takedown conducted on Oct. 12 in Great Falls.

The five defendants are charged in three separate indictments alleging fentanyl trafficking in Cascade and Mineral counties. Each defendant pleaded not guilty and was detained pending further proceedings.

Another charged in narcotics investigation

U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided.

The defendants include:

• Alanna Corcoran, 41, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Corcoran faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. Nicholas Cocklin is also named as a defendant in this case.

• Natalie Crawford, 31, of Great Falls, on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Crawford faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. David Prien-Pinto is also named as a defendant in this case.

• Michael McIntire, 56, of Great Falls; Terry McIntire, 44, of Great Falls; and Paul Regimbal, 50, of Fort Benton, on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Terry McIntire also is charged with distribution of fentanyl. The defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release.

The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Great Falls Police Department, with assistance from the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Russell Country High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Marshals Service, conducted the investigation.

Prien-Pinto is in U.S. Bureau Of Prisons custody serving a sentence in another case.

According to court documents, Prien-Pinto was sentenced in federal court in 2018 for unlawful transport of firearms to 36 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, which began in September 2020.

His supervision was revoked in 2021 and began again in 2021, according to court documents.

In March 2023, Prien-Pinto tested positive for meth, in April, a report was filed with federal court that he was associating with those engaging in criminal activity; in May he tested positive for meth and on May 15, 2023, he tested positive for meth and admitted to associating with Crawford, named in the current narcotics investigation. Prien-Pinto denied using illegal substances at that time and “was allowed to remain in the community to engage in treatment” and continue on phase testing, according to court documents.

Conklin is not in custody and there is a warrant for his arrest, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Charges filed in narcotics investigation

In July, Joseph Conner was indicted in federal court for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; distribution of fentanyl; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Conner entered a not guilty plea on the indictment.

His case is pending in federal court in Great Falls.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 40 years imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, with a consecutive mandatory minimum 5 year sentence a $5,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release, according to court documents.

10 arrested in narcotics investigation; another arrested on unrelated warrant

Last week, Dallas Lopez was been charged with a felony count of accountability for criminal distribution of dangerous drugs, and two felony counts of possession of property subject to criminal forfeiture in connection with a local yearlong narcotics investigation.

Lopez was among the 10 arrested on Oct. 12 by local law enforcement.

Lopez has been charged in district court.

Terry McCann was also selling fentanyl out of Lopez’s house.

Law enforcement agencies executed three narcotics search warrants this morning, made multiple arrests [2022]

McCann was arrested and charged Oct. 12 with a felony county of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor county of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with a January traffic stop.

On Oct. 16, Danny Burkhart was been charged in connection with the larger narcotic investigation that lead to multiple arrests last week.

Burkhart has been charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.