Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings on September 9, 2009, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, JOHN JACOB LORENZ, a 42-year-old resident of Fairview, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sentencing is set for December 9, 2009. He is currently detained.

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

From 2005 to 2007, LORENZ was involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

During the course of the conspiracy, the amount of methamphetamine distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute by LORENZ exceeded 50 grams of a mixture of methamphetamine.

LORENZ faces possible penalties of a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison and could be sentenced to 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine and at least 4 years supervised release. .

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Richland County Sheriff's Office, Sidney Police Department, the Montana Highway Patrol and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

 

 

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