Justin Zachary Fultz Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 10, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on October 10, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, Justin Zachary Fultz, a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, appeared for sentencing. Fultz was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 82 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: five years
Fultz was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
In an offer of proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
Beginning in approximately October 2008 and continuing until approximately November 2010, Fultz and Howard Bonifant conspired to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine in and around Billings and Las Vegas, Nevada.
A confidential cooperator (CC#1), would have testified that beginning in the spring of 2010 and until November 2010, s/he would rotate with Fultz in bringing pounds of methamphetamine to Billings from Las Vegas, Nevada, for distribution. Fultz, CC#1, and CC#2 transported cash drug proceeds, up to $40,000, to Las Vegas, Nevada, from Billings on multiple occasions.
CC#2 would have testified that in 2010, s/he rotated with CC#1 and Fultz bringing methamphetamine to Billings and returning with cash drug proceeds to Las Vegas, Nevada.
On November 16, 2010, agents searched a house rented by Fultz and obtained multiple ounces of methamphetamine and over $50,000 in cash. CC#1 would have testified that the money found was drug proceeds.
Additionally, the government would have put on evidence to show that on November 28, 2011 and January 11, 2012, law enforcement agents interviewed Bonifant. Bonifant provided details on how he began his involvement with drug trafficking in the Billings area, the individuals who obtained methamphetamine from him for distribution, including drug amounts, as well as information regarding his source of supply. Bonifant would have testified that Fultz, CC#1, and CC#2 worked for him distributing methamphetamine. Fultz would take one pound of methamphetamine with him on each trip from Las Vegas to Billings. Fultz would return to Las Vegas with the cash drug proceeds. Fultz made at least four to six trips to Billings to distribute methamphetamine.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Fultz will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Fultz does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.