A Washington man who admitted guilt to charges of narcotics trafficking in southern Montana was given a seven-year jail sentence.
forty years old The Department of Justice (DOJ) said that Daniel Jiminez-Chavez, also known as Raton, of Okanogan, Washington, was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy when he went to the Crow Indian Reservation to distribute methamphetamine.
As per the DOJ, Jiminez-Chavez belonged to the upper echelons of the conspiracy and traveled from Washington to Lodge Grass, on the Crow Indian Reservation, in February 2023 with the intention of distributing drugs and serving as a caregiver for a residence there.
Spear Siding, a property on the Crow Indian Reservation, was the source of a meth supply for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations from approximately January 2022 through March 2023, according to a comprehensive, cooperative investigation into drug trafficking. The investigation focused on several properties on the reservation.
Jiminez-Chavez was discovered to be among the roughly two dozen individuals connected to the probe, according to the DOH. His primary purpose for being in Montana, according to investigators, was to maintain the Bloodman residence—a house close to Spear Siding that was part of the drug conspiracy—and sell it to a fellow conspirator.
While residing at the Bloodman residence, Jiminez-Chavez delivered meth to roughly six additional individuals involved in the case with help from another co-conspirator who served as his interpreter, according to the DOJ. Before his arrest, he was in Montana for two months, during which time he was in charge of distributing almost ten pounds of meth.
Read Also: Fireworks Incident Leads to Home Damage: Child Given Ignition Task
The case was a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that aims to make neighborhoods safer for everyone by reducing violent crime and gun violence by bringing together law enforcement from all levels and the communities they serve.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Susan P. Watters, a U.S. District Judge, presided.
In January, Jiminez-Chavez entered a guilty plea to possession of meth with the intent to distribute. He was found guilty of a narcotics trafficking charge on June 27 and given a sentence of seven years in jail, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
