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Press Release

Fort Peck Meth Dealer Sentenced to Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana

GREAT FALLS - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Landon Dupree, a 32-year-old resident of Poplar, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.  U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided over the hearing.   

Dupree previously entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  In January 2017, Dupree was arrested on an outstanding warrant for violating the terms of his supervised release, drugs and drug paraphernalia on his person during the subsequent arrest. 

In July 2017, the Montana Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle Dupree was driving and following a search of the vehicle, located a digital scale, methamphetamine, and syringes.  Dupree was a mid-level distributor selling methamphetamine on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, primarily in Poplar. 

In a sentencing memorandum filed in federal court, federal prosecutors noted, “Methamphetamine … is destroying lives, breaking up families, and undermining tribal cultures”.  It continued “Dupree’s conduct contributed directly to this problem.  He provided meth to people needing a quick fix and seemingly fails to understand the broad implications of his criminal conduct.” 

Judge Morris sentenced Dupree to more than five years in federal prison, with four years of supervised release to follow.  Because there is no parole in the federal system, Dupree will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court.  In the federal system, Dupree does have the opportunity to shorten the term of custody by earning credit for good behavior.  However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.       

The Dupree case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, Montana Highway Patrol, and other federal, state, and local agencies. 

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Contact

KERI LEGGETT
Acting Public Information Officer
(406) 761-7715

Updated April 18, 2018

Topic
Project Safe Neighborhoods