Suspected drug dealer gets suspended sentence after plea deal
DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 months AGO
NEWS EDITOR Derrick Perkins serves as News Editor at the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees daily news coverage and works closely with reporters to plan, edit and publish stories across print and digital platforms. Perkins helps coordinate coverage of local government, public safety, business and community developments throughout Northwest Montana. He works with the reporting staff to strengthen journalism while maintaining consistent daily coverage. His role helps ensure the newsroom delivers timely, accurate reporting that readers rely on. IMPACT: Derrick’s work keeps readers informed about the decisions and events shaping their communities every day. | February 18, 2026 9:00 PM
A man who allegedly arranged a drug deal for undercover agents in a Whitefish bar in 2023 later received a suspended sentence in Flathead County District Court.
Prosecutors brought Daniel Jesse Rosas, 64, up on a felony count of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs in March 2024 in connection with the alleged Oct. 31, 2023 sale of cocaine. Booked into the county jail in December 2024, Rosas pleaded not guilty before Judge Dan Wilson on Jan. 23, 2025.
But Rosas took a deal in April that saw him plead guilty to an amended felony count of criminal possession of dangerous drugs. In exchange prosecutors agreed to recommend he receive a suspended three-year sentence to the state Department of Corrections. They would also ask that his sentence run consecutively with a separate sentence out of Missoula County.
Wilson stuck to the terms of the deal at Rosas' May 15 sentencing. He also gave Rosas, who appeared via video from the Missoula County jail, credit for 72 days of time served.
After selling a gram of cocaine to the undercover members of the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force in 2023, Rosas discussed future deals with the agents, according to court documents. Rosas allegedly guaranteed he could produce larger quantities of cocaine and possibly negotiate better prices.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or [email protected].
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