Krista Little Head Sentenced in U.S. District Court
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 19, 2013 |
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on June 19, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Krista Little Head, a 28-year-old former resident of Billings, was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 125 months
- Special assessment: $100
- Supervised release: four years
Little Head was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On December 8, 2011, members of the Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force (BSSSTF) along with members of the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (EMHIDTA) conducted a controlled drug purchase using a confidential informant (CI). The CI stated Little Head could purchase one ounce of methamphetamine for $2,300 from a Hispanic male who goes by the name “Ramiro.” The CI arranged to meet Little Head at a casino in downtown Billings. The CI met Little Head and then both met with Ramiro inside the casino. All subjects left the casino and got into a vehicle driven by Little Head, traveled a short distance, and met with another subject who was the source. The source was driving a Jeep. The CI said Ramiro got out of Little Head’s vehicle and into the Jeep. Ramiro returned to Little Head’s vehicle and placed a plastic baggie that contained the methamphetamine inside and said, “All there, it’s all weighed.” The CI handed Ramiro $2,300 for the drugs and they parted ways. The methamphetamine’s actual weight was 26.4 grams and 63.8 percent purity.
On December 9, 2011, another deal was set up using the same CI. Little Head agreed to sell the CI one ounce of methamphetamine for $2,300. It was also agreed Little Head would receive $100 for “middling” the deal. The CI met Little Head at a different casino in Billings. The CI got into Little Head’s vehicle and they drove to the another casino where they met with Ramiro. The money was exchanged for the one ounce of methamphetamine, and they parted ways. The methamphetamine’s actual weight was 27.7 grams and 61.4 percent purity.
Agents identified Ramiro as Ismael Zamora, and he has subsequently been prosecuted. When questioned, Little Head admitted her role in the conspiracy and distributions, indicating that she met Zamora in November 2011 and helped him distribute methamphetamine in Billings and elsewhere. She admitted to the two distributions to the CI and also said that she sold smaller amounts of methamphetamine for him as well, usually $100 deals on six to 10 occasions, and delivered methamphetamine from Zamora to another person three times for $700, $400, and $200. Little Head’s dealings with Zamora ended in January 2012 because she owed him money for methamphetamine and was not able to pay.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Little Head will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Little Head 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 between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Billings Big Sky Safe Streets Task Force.