Michael Ray Gobert Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls on October 3, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, MICHAEL RAY GOBERT, a 35-year-old resident of Browning, pled guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. Sentencing has been set for December 29, 2011.

In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael T. Wolfe, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

Officers of the Blackfeet Safe Trails Task Force (BSTTF) conducted an extensive investigation of numerous individuals trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Reservation during 2009 and 2010. GOBERT was identified as an involved conspirator.

On April 6, 2010, BSTTF officers—via the use of a confidential informant (CI)—conducted and documented a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from GOBERT on the Blackfeet Reservation. Officers recorded, observed, and documented GOBERT possessing and delivering approximately 4.86 grams of methamphetamine to another person.

The crystalline substance purchased from GOBERT was subsequently submitted to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory and the substance tested positive for methamphetamine.

Co-conspirator #1 would have testified that GOBERT was purchasing methamphetamine from Co-conspirator #2 in 2009 and 2010. Co-conspirator #2 would have testified and corroborated this fact. Co-conspirator #2 would have also testified that beginning in the summer of 2009, GOBERT had purchased methamphetamine from her, approximately once a month for a period of almost eight months, usually in one-gram amounts.

Co-conspirator #3 would have further corroborated GOBERT’s involvement in the purchase and sale of methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Reservation. Co-conspirator #3 would have testified that GOBERT purchased methamphetamine from Co-conspirator #2 between July 2009 through June 2010. GOBERT would use half of the methamphetamine, and sell the other half. GOBERT would repackage the methamphetamine and sell one-half gram amounts to individuals on the Blackfeet Reservation.

After GOBERT’s arrest, he voluntarily admitted to BSTTF Officers that he sold one-half gram amounts of methamphetamine on at least ten separate occasions in March and April of 2010.

GOBERT faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.