Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BILLINGS – A Big Timber man who possessed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 36 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
James Karl Ellis, 38, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on or about November 26, 2023, law enforcement received a video that showed the garage of Ellis’s residence located in Big Timber, Montana. The video depicted Ellis obtaining something from a large safe in the garage and then providing a bag containing what appeared to be a white powdery substance to a female. Deputies recognized the female as a known narcotics user. A search warrant for Ellis’s residence was obtained.
Ellis’s residence was searched on November 27, 2023. In the safe in the garage as well as in a locked closet in Ellis’s bedroom, law enforcement found approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Sweetgrass County Sheriff’s Office and ATF.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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