Source: Office of United States Attorneys
MISSOULA — An Ennis man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine after law enforcement found two pounds of meth and approximately 50 firearms in his residence was sentenced on Dec. 5 to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Jason Michael Hoover, 47, pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen presided.
“Hoover’s drug trafficking conduct was especially dangerous, not only because of the amount of meth involved, but also because of the large number of firearms found in his residence. Hoover used guns as currency to distribute and receive meth. With this sentence, the firearms will no longer be on our streets and neither will Hoover,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents that in July 2022, law enforcement identified Hoover as a suspect in storage unit thefts in Gallatin County. The investigation led to a search in February 2023 of Hoover’s residence, where officers found Hoover and co-defendant Gabriel Boe, attempting to hide in a laundry room. Officers observed a plastic bag of suspected methamphetamine adjacent to Hoover and Boe. After obtaining a second search warrant, law enforcement located more than two pounds of meth near where Hoover and Boe had been found. Officers also located approximately 50 firearms. Hoover told law enforcement he distributed meth and received guns in exchange and that he would trade guns and receive meth. Boe is pending sentencing for his conviction in the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force 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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