Jerome Mancuso Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings on May 4, 2012 before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, Jerome Mancuso, a 42-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. Mancuso was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 16 months
• Special assessment: $400
• Fine: $10,000
• Supervised release: three years

Mancuso was sentenced following his convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and maintaining drug involved premises. Mancuso was convicted on October 7, 2011 at the conclusion of a four-day jury trial in federal district court. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Seykora and Bishop Grewell prosecuted the case for the United States.

“Cocaine, just like all illegal drugs, is a scourge on Montana communities,” said United States Attorney Michael W. Cotter, District of Montana. “Dr. Mancuso was tried and convicted by a Montana jury of drug possession with intent to distribute, distribution of cocaine, and maintaining a drug involved premises—his home and medical office. The United States Attorney’s Office would like to sincerely thank all the federal agents from the DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, and BIA; task force officers from Montana DCI; the Billings Police Department; the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office; and the Laurel Police Department for all of their work in the larger drug investigation of Mancuso and 41 others.”

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Mancuso will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Mancuso 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 of the above agencies, with the leading agencies being the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.