Source: Office of United States Attorneys
GREAT FALLS – A Havre man who possessed fentanyl was sentenced today to 168 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Isaiah Starr Standingrock, 33, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on August 26, 2023, Standingrock attempted to evade law enforcement, leading to a high-speed pursuit on and off the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation. During the pursuit, Standingrock called 911 several times, threatening to shoot officers and/or himself. Officers watched Standingrock throw various items out of his car window throughout the pursuit, including what appeared to be a gun (which was never recovered) and a blue Nike backpack (which was recovered and later searched). Standingrock later threw a pistol holster at officers during a brief standoff. Ultimately, Standingrock was taken into custody without incident.
In a search incident to arrest, officers seized $430 in various denominations of cash, as well as various empty syringes and a plastic bag. Officers observed what appeared to be fentanyl pills in plain view in the vehicle.
Officers then located a .40 caliber S&W round and a .38 caliber SPL +P round, as well as a syringe and tin foil in the blue Nike backpack. They recovered suspected fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder, a tube containing powder residence, a digital scale containing white powder, a flip phone and a gold iPhone from the vehicle search.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, and the Hill County Sheriff’s Office.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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