Roland Hank �hunky� Cobell Sentenced in U.S. District Court
The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on August 22, 2011, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, ROLAND HANK "HUNKY" COBELL, a 38-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared for sentencing. COBELL was sentenced to a term of:
Prison: 154 months
Special Assessment: $100
Supervised Release: 3 years
COBELL was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to distribution of methamphetamine.
Officers of the Blackfeet Safe Trails Task Force (BSTTF) conducted an extensive investigation of numerous individuals trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Reservation during 2009 and 2010. COBELL was identified as a conspirator in this illegal methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.
BSTTF officers, using confidential informants, conducted and documented three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from COBELL.
On April 9, 2010, COBELL sold approximately 1.8 grams of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
Later that same day, April 9, 2010, COBELL sold approximately 1.7 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
On July 14, 2010, COBELL sold approximately .5 grams of substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
The crystalline substances purchased from COBELL were subsequently submitted to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory for testing. The substances purchased from COBELL tested positive for methamphetamine.
When interviewed after his arrest, COBELL admitted to purchasing large amounts of methamphetamine from two co-conspirators. COBELL also admitted to fleeing from BSTTF officers on April 15, 2010, which resulted in a high-speed vehicle chase, because COBELL "knew [they] were after me." A used methamphetamine pipe and a small digital scale for measuring were found on COBELL at the time of arrest.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that COBELL will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, COBELL 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.
