Levi Anthony LaBuff, Jr. Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on September 25, 2013, before Chief U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen, Levi Anthony LaBuff, Jr., a 36-year-old resident of Browning, was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 60 months Special Assessment: $ 100 Supervised Release: Five years

LaBuff was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

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

On February 23, 2012, LaBuff and Wilma Jamie Rae Hoyt were arrested in Browning. LaBuff was arrested because he had a state warrant out for his arrest. Hoyt was arrested for a federal warrant because she had violated conditions of her supervised release. At the time of the arrest, law enforcement collected $600 in U.S. currency from LaBuff. The money was claimed to be from LaBuff’s “tax return.”

When interviewed, Hoyt stated that she first became romantically involved with LaBuff in approximately 2009 or 2010. Both LaBuff and Hoyt were initially “clean,” but LaBuff lost his job, and they were in need of money to maintain their household and take care of their children. Hoyt stated that this is when they began selling methamphetamine for income.

In approximately February or March 2011, Hoyt admitted that individuals approached her and LaBuff, requesting that they sell methamphetamine. LaBuff and Hoyt complied with such a request, and this relationship lasted until January 2012. LaBuff and Hoyt would receive three grams of methamphetamine at a time. Hoyt estimated that she received methamphetamine to sell every week, and the longest without receiving drugs was three weeks.

Hoyt explained that, after selling for awhile, she met another methamphetamine dealer, who provided her and LaBuff with a higher-quality methamphetamine. This new dealer initially provided them with a “weighed-out gram” of methamphetamine, which they would break down and sell. However, as the relationship grew, so did the amounts that the new distributor provided. For example, the new distributor eventually provided Hoyt and LaBuff with a “weighed-out eight ball.” In total, Hoyt stated that the new distributor provided them a “weighed-out gram” on six occasions and a “weighed-out eight ball” on three occasions.

Law enforcement interviewed LaBuff the day after interviewing Hoyt. LaBuff also admitted that he began selling methamphetamine and stated that such sales began in late December 2010 and continued until approximately June 2011. LaBuff provided specifics as to amounts sold and prices paid to the distributors.

The FBI interviewed various “customers” of Hoyt and LaBuff. These individuals confirmed that Hoyt and LaBuff sold methamphetamine, and the amounts of the conspiracy involved more than 50 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

Hoyt pled guilty to federal charges.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that LaBuff will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, LaBuff 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation.