Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man admitted on June 20 to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl after a law enforcement investigation determined he was dealing large quantities of drugs in the community and found two pounds of meth wired under his truck, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, John Mead Ogburn, 45, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. Ogburn faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, the parties agreed that a prison sentence in the range of 12 years and seven months to 15 years and eight months is an appropriate sentence to resolve the case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 24. Ogburn was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September and October 2023, drug task officers in Great Falls learned Ogburn was a source of supply of meth and fentanyl. In November 2023, officers intercepted a UPS package that contained 1,757 fentanyl pills. The package was intended to be delivered to a Great Falls address of an individual, who admitted knowing the package contained fentanyl and who identified Ogburn as arranging for the shipment. In December 2023, officers received information that another individual possessed a large quantity of fentanyl powder. Officers executed a search warrant on the individual’s residence and recovered approximately one pound of meth and 55 grams of fentanyl powder. Officers observed Ogburn at the individual’s home before and after the search, and the individual later told officers that the drugs were intended for Ogburn. On Feb. 9, law enforcement conducted an interdiction stop on Interstate 90 of two vehicles associated with Ogburn, an Acura and a Dodge truck. A search of the vehicles found approximately two pounds of meth wired under the truck. Ogburn admitted on a recorded jail call that he was responsible for placing the meth under the truck.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Russell Country Drug Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
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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