Washington state man sentenced to more than 6 ½ years in federal prison for meth crime, ordered to forfeit $278,000

MISSOULA, Mont. — A Washington state man was sentenced Thursday to 6 ½ years in prison and will forfeit more than $278,000 in connection with his federal conviction for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter, District of Montana, announced this sentence.  This case was investigated by the Northwest Drug Task Force, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Chief District Court Judge Dana Christensen sentenced Mark Irvin Roberts, 50, of Newport, Washington, to 78 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and $5,000 in restitution, in addition to forfeiting $278,370 in connection with the offense.

Roberts pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine Feb. 19. In an offer of proof, the prosecutor told the Court that on Feb. 5, 2013 two co-defendants went to Idaho and purchased two ounces of methamphetamine from Roberts. The co-defendants returned to Montana with the methamphetamine and were eventually apprehended. One co-defendant had been purchasing methamphetamine from Roberts for about six weeks. One co-defendant bought about eight ounces of methamphetamine from Roberts for redistribution in Montana.

On Feb. 9, 2013, a deal was set up to purchase additional methamphetamine from Roberts. Roberts traveled to Montana to deliver the methamphetamine, but was intercepted by law enforcement. Three ounces of methamphetamine was recovered from Roberts. Laboratory analysis was conducted on the two ounces purchased from Roberts, and the results showed more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott, District of Montana.