Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Missoula Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison
MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to a drug trafficking crime after he accepted a controlled delivery of a package that had contained more than two pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Marcus Lejon Williams, 45, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to attempted possession with intent to distribute meth.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that law enforcement received information that Williams was distributing large amounts of meth, was receiving it through the mail and had firearms at his residence. In January 2022, a U.S. Postal Service inspector searched a package containing suspected meth and was addressed to a person at Williams’ address. The package contained approximately 1,000 grams of meth, which is 2.2 pounds. Postal records showed two other similar packages were shipped from California to Williams’ address in May 2021 and September 2021. Law enforcement made a controlled delivery of the package, with the meth removed. Williams and the person to whom the package was addressed came out to accept the package in a parking lot. A search warrant was executed on the residence and officers located a 9 mm handgun. Williams admitted that the package was for him and that he had been getting meth from his source in California once every two months for the past six or seven years. Williams also stated that he had been “in the game” for 25 or 26 years, was tired of doing it for a living and estimated that he made $120,000 to $130,000. Williams also admitted that the gun was his and that he used it for protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Missoula Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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.
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Updated April 10, 2024