Defendants from two separate drugs busts which occurred in Mineral County were sentenced by the U.S. District Courts earlier this month. Hector Ricardo Gonzales, 30, from Kennewick, Washington was arrested on January 20 along with codefendant, Christian Jesus Ruiz, for 20 pounds of methamphetamine after being pulled over by sheriff’s deputies. On Oct. 12 in Helena, U.S. District Court Judge Sam Haddon sentenced Hector to 260 months in prison with five years supervision after his release.

On Oct. 12, U.S. District Court Judge Charles C. Lovell sentenced Barbara Jean Satrom, 33, of Missoula to serve 27 months in prison and five years on supervised released for her participation in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and for distribution of meth.

Judge Lovell previously sentenced Satrom’s codefendants on similar charges this summer. Tillian Jay Gonzalez, 33, of Yakima, Washington was sentenced to 130 months in prison and five years’ supervised release on June 15, 2017. Rebecca Jean Belling Frankforter, 33, of Helena was sentenced on June 20, 2017, to 40 months in prison and five years supervised release.

Had the case proceeded to trial, the United States was prepared to prove that during the month of May 2016, controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made from Tillian Jay Gonzalez, Barbara Satrom, and Rebecca Frankforter in Missoula and Helena. Gonzalez brought methamphetamine from Washington to Montana where Satrom and Frankfurter sold the methamphetamine for Gonzalez. Gonzalez also sold methamphetamine himself. The investigation ended with a pursuit of Gonzalez from Mineral County to Shoshone County, Idaho.

On May 3, 2016, Barbara Satrom sold four ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Missoula. It was later determined through the course of the investigation that Gonzalez was Satrom’s supplier of the methamphetamine.

On May 6, 2016, Gonzalez sold four ounces of methamphetamine to the undercover officer in Missoula. On May 7, 2016, Gonzalez sold another four ounces to the undercover officer in Missoula.

On May 10, 2016, an undercover officer purchased eight ounces of methamphetamine from Gonzalez and Frankforter in Helena. Arrangements were made between the undercover officer and Gonzalez, for Gonzalez to deliver one pound of methamphetamine to the undercover officer on May 15, 2016.

On May 15, 2016, law enforcement attempted to stop Gonzalez as he entered Montana. A vehicle pursuit took place. After Gonzalez stopped his vehicle in Shoshone County, he fled on foot. He was apprehended after he threw approximately four pounds of methamphetamine into the woods. Law enforcement seized the methamphetamine.

All of the methamphetamine purchased and recovered was sent to the DEA laboratory for testing. It was all 97 to 99 percent pure.

The case was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette Stewart.

In the case against Hector Gonzalez prosecutors accused him and his codefendants of bringing large amounts of meth into the Deer Lodge area on a monthly basis over the course of 2016. One of the codefendants, Jeff Allen Trask, was already sentenced to 54-months for his role in the distribution of the drugs. The other defendants involved, Ruiz and Chase Ryan Storlie, will be sentenced in January.

When Hector Gonzalez and Christian Ruiz were arrested in Mineral County, prosecutors said the meth was going to be taken to the Deer Lodge area and Hector admitted that he had planned to sell it to another person for $140,000.

The investigation was made by the Montana Department of Justice, local law enforcement, local law enforcement in Lewis and Clark, Mineral and Powell counties, the Missouri River Drug Task Force, the FBI and other federal agencies.

As to whether Tillian and Hector Gonzalez are related is not clear according to Mineral County Sheriff Tom Bauer, “Gonzalez is a very common name and it is anyone’s guess as to whether they are related or not.”

In a statement about Hector’s sentencing, U.S. Attorney for Montana, Kurt Alme said the case was an important step in the efforts to stop organized drug distribution networks in Montana.

Meth is definitely picking up everywhere, including in Mineral County, “it’s an epidemic,” said Bauer, “a huge problem which has steadily been increasing. We bring one down and five more (drug distributors) pop up.”

Most of the meth comes from Mexico and California with a lot of it trafficked through the Tri-cities in Washington according to Bauer. Interstate 90 is the main corridor from west to east and has been a main thoroughfare for years.

Bauer said his department has been receiving specialized drug training and they’ve partnered up with the Montana Highway Patrol on a special task force which is targeting drugs and human trafficking to try and combat the ongoing battle. His department is also in line to get a drug dog next spring using federal funds they received from forfeited drug money.