Crow Agency woman accused in large-scale, drug trafficking probe admits to distributing meth

BILLINGS — A Crow Agency woman charged in large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking investigation centered on the Crow Indian Reservation admitted today to distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

Keilee Shamrae Diaz, 34, pleaded guilty to distribution of meth. Diaz faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Diaz was detained pending further proceedings.

In court documents, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, investigated a large-scale, multi-state narcotics trafficking operation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one known as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. Law enforcement arrested Diaz and others during a take down in April.

The government further alleged that in September 2022, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of meth from Diaz and others. A controlled source communicated with Diaz through Facebook and arranged to buy an ounce of meth. The source met Diaz and co-defendant 1 in Hardin, and the group drove to the Spear Siding property. After a phone conversation at Spear Siding with co-defendant 2, a Spear resident, the group went back to Hardin. In Hardin, the group met up with co-defendant 2. Following this meeting, the source purchased the meth for $710 directly from co-defendant 1, who was with Diaz.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results

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