Washington woman sentenced to three years in prison for role in multi-state meth trafficking ring centered on Crow Indian Reservation

BILLINGS - A Washington woman who admitted to working as a translator and helping a co-defendant sell meth in a large trafficking scheme based on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Mariana Tyler Wallace, 23, of Okanogan, Washington, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, engaged in a large-scale, multiple-state, narcotics trafficking investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of methamphetamine for both Crow and the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations. Wallace is one of the individuals affiliated with that investigation.

The investigation determined that Wallace and co-conspirator 1 were involved in selling meth and fentanyl from a property known as the Bloodman residence, which was near the Spear Siding property. Co-conspirators from Washington lived at the Bloodman house to distribute and protect the meth. These co-conspirators spoke Spanish and required others to translate to communicate with customers. Wallace came to Montana in February/March 2023 and worked as a translator for co-conspirator 1 to sell meth to multiple individuals who visited the residence. Wallace also sold meth. Wallace was considered to be in the lower to mid-level of the conspiracy.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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