Federal, state and local law enforcement officials discussed their operations to dismantle a large fentanyl trafficking ring that brought tens of thousands of pills into the Great Falls community during a Dec. 17 press conference.

The investigation of those bringing drugs into the Great Falls area from Washington led to convictions of 10 people on federal charges and more facing charges in state court.

Great Falls woman sentenced in connection with narcotics ring (Price)

Most of those arrests were made in October 2023, some at a house at 2112 Poplar Drive, property owned by Dallas Lopez, who has also been arrested and charged in district court in the narcotics investigation.

U.S. Attorney Laslovich, Great Falls Police Chief Jeff Newton and Cascade County Attorney Joshua Racki, discussed the investigation, dubbed Operation Tacoma Sunrise, during a Dec. 17 news conference at the Great Falls Civic Center.

They were joined by representatives of the Russell Country Drug Task Force, which is composed federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Homeland Security Investigations;  Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation; the Great Falls Police Department and Cascade County Sheriff’s Office.

Conner sentenced in fentanyl trafficking case

The investigation into fentanyl trafficking in the Great Falls area began in September 2022 with the traffic stop of a Russian national and led to a supplier, Joseph Allen Conner, in the Tacoma, Wash. area.

Conner, aka Street, was arrested in June 2023, followed by the arrests of most of the other defendants in a coordinated multi-agency takedown in October 2023 in Great Falls.

Conner was sentenced in May to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Sentencing hearing for one in narcotics ring set for May 1

The 40-year-old Washington man admitted in an interview that beginning in September 2022, he made multiple trips to Montana, including to Great Falls, Missoula, Lincoln, and Haugen, to sell fentanyl and other controlled substances.

The investigation determined that Conner distributed large amounts of pills to multiple sources and possessed “buckets full” of fentanyl pills, according to court documents.

Two more appear in federal court in narcotics investigation [2023]

Conner also mailed large amounts of pills to distributors and was seen with what an individual described as a “volleyball size bag” of pills. Law enforcement also seized about 1,500 fentanyl pills and meth from a vehicle being driven by a co-conspirator and determined that the drugs came from Conner, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Conner signed a plea agreement in November 2023, in which he agreed to plead guilty to the federal charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, according to court documents.

In exchange, federal prosecutors dismissed the other three charges.

Seven charged federally in narcotics investigation [2023]

In the agreement, Conner acknowledged that there was an agreement between two or more people to distribute meth and fentanyl and to possess it with the intent to distribute it; and that at least 400 grams of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and at least five grams of actual methamphetamine was involved in the conspiracy, according to court documents.

Conner lived in Washington and was dealing fentanyl and Xanax throughout Montana, including Cascade County.

Another charged in narcotics investigation [2023]

Conner was indicted in federal court in July 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.

He initially entered a not guilty plea on the indictment.

Conner’s attorney submitted multiple letters to the court from friends and family describing his good character and struggles with addiction that they believe lead to his involvement with drug trafficking.

Overall, the investigation led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and at least seven firearms.

Charges filed in narcotics investigation [2023]

“Taking down fentanyl trafficking rings to reduce drug-related violence and overdoses and death caused by this extremely dangerous drug is critical to the health and safety of our communities, like Great Falls. These traffickers try to move in and enlist local dealers to profit off persons who are addicted to fentanyl. Dismantling this drug organization was possible only through the unwavering commitment and cooperation of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to bring these defendants to justice. We know the work needs to continue and we will continue to do it,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.

GFPD Chief Jeff Newton said that so far in 2024, the Russell Country Drug Task Force interdicted a huge shipment of methamphetamine destined for Great Falls and that the amount of cocaine they’ve seized is nearly triple that of 2023.

• Nicholas Cocklin, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to one year in prison.
• Alanna Corcoran, of Great Falls: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to Glacier drug court.
• Terry McIntire, of Great Falls: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison.
• Michael McIntire, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
• Paul Regimbal, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
• Iesha Berry-Harris, of Tacoma, Wash.: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentence to 15 months in prison.
• David Prien-Pinto, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to five years in prison.
• Courtney Price, of Great Falls: possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Sentenced to three years and two months in prison.
• Casey Louis Ream, of California: possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison.

Natalie Crawford, of Great Falls, was also charged federally with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. She entered drug treatment earlier this year and her case remains pending in federal court. Crawford was named as a co-defendant with Prien-Pinto.

“All of them were poisoning this community with fentanyl,” Laslovich said.

Newton said that the ring was believed to be trafficking a quarter to half a million fentanyl pills.

Laslovich said they were moving enough pills to poison every single person who lives in Cascade County.

10 arrested in narcotics investigation; another arrested on unrelated warrant [2023]

In addition to those charged federally, several were charged in District Court.

Dallas Lopez was 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 is currently scheduled for a jury trial in February.

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 charged 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.

She signed a plea deal earlier this year, pleading guilty to four felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and in exchange, the state agreed not to prosecute five other charges in two cases.

McCann is awaiting sentencing and prosecutors recommended five years in Montana state prison with all time suspended.

Danny Burkhard was charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a misdemeanor count of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

Great Falls man admits in federal court to distributing meth

He has a trial currently set for Jan. 27.

Kally Carpenter was charged in District Court with two felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and a felony count of tampering with evidence.

Carpenter accepted a plea agreement to plead guilty to one felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs in May and the other two charges were dismissed, according to court records. Carpenter received a three year deferred sentence, according to Racki.

Roger Cantrell was charged in District Court with a felony count of criminal distribution of drugs. He also accepted a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea in October. Cantress was sentenced to 15 years in Montana State Prison with one year suspended.

Ream was also charged and convicted in District Court. He was sentenced to five years with the Montana Department of Corrections.

“The Cascade County Attorney’s Office is dedicated to combating the influx of illicit drugs by holding accountable those who bring them into our communities,” Cascade County Attorney Racki said during the press conference.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the federal cases.

Great Falls man sentenced for trafficking meth, fentanyl

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Russell Country Drug Task Force; Great Falls Police Department and the Cascade County Attorney’s Office investigated the case.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, which identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.