Nathan Anthony Lonsbery Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 20, 2012 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on November 20, 2012, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, Nathan Anthony Lonsbery, a 24-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. Lonsbery was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 120 months
- Special assessment: $200
- Supervised release: four years
Lonsbery was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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:
On November 14, 2010, Billings Police officers were dispatched to a hotel for a weapons complaint. Officers were told that the suspect was named “Nate,” and he was waiving a handgun around. Information also was given that a pregnant female was in a room with the suspect. Officers went to the hotel room, and a pregnant female allowed the officers into the room. Once in the room, a handgun was observed on a nightstand next to a glass pipe with white residue. The officers then looked outside and observed Lonsbery near a stairwell. Officers went over to Lonsbery and observed a small, brown pouch that contained 10 bindles and one baggie of methamphetamine. The hotel room was then searched pursuant to a search warrant.
During the search, a methamphetamine locker, Glock handgun, marijuana, marijuana pipe, and other items were recovered from the room. The methamphetamine was tested and weighed in excess of five grams pure.
A controlled source would have testified that Lonsbery told him that the methamphetamine and gun found at the hotel was his.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Lonsbery will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Lonsbery 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 a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.