Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 6, 2009, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, DAVID YAZZIE, a resident of Browning, appeared for sentencing. YAZZIE was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 68 months

• Special Assessment: $100

• Supervised Release: 4 years

YAZZIE was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vince Carroll, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

From April through November of 2006, confidential informants, under the direction of the Blackfeet Safe Trails Task Force, conducted several undercover controlled purchases of methamphetamine from YAZZIE in Great Falls area and in Browning, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The substances that were possessed and sold by YAZZIE were tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration Lab and confirmed to be methamphetamine.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that YAZZIE will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, YAZZIE does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Blackfeet Safe Trails Task Force.

 

 

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