Missoula Men Sentenced to Federal Prison on Drug and Gun Charges

MISSOULA - Allen Harwood, 41, and Dezmen Patron, 20, both of Missoula, were sentenced today to 138 months and 126 months in prison respectively to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.  Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. US District Judge Donald W. Molloy handed down the sentences.

Beginning in September of 2017 and continuing through February 6, 2018, Harwood and Patron distributed methamphetamine around the Missoula area.  They would most often get the methamphetamine from Eastern Washington and return to Missoula to sell the methamphetamine out of Harwood’s residence.  Harwood and Patron also carried firearms and exchanged firearms for methamphetamine on several occasions.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott and investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.

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.