California Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking in Montana

MISSOULA — A California man, Anthony Wayne Johnson II, 47, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that distributed thousands of fentanyl pills in Montana. Following his prison term, Johnson will serve five years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.

Johnson pleaded guilty in April to charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen handed down the sentence on August 27.

Court documents revealed that Johnson was involved in a conspiracy that transported fentanyl and methamphetamine from California to the Butte and Helena areas. The operation used co-conspirators to drive large quantities of meth between the states and mailed packages of fentanyl pills to Montana for distribution.

In November 2022, Johnson sent three packages of fentanyl pills to his associates in Butte. Law enforcement intercepted two of the packages in Montana, which contained approximately 9,000 fentanyl pills. The third package, delivered to a co-conspirator, was found to contain around 8,000 pills.

In January 2023, authorities arrested Johnson at a hotel in Butte, where they discovered a firearm hidden under the mattress and fentanyl on his person. Johnson admitted that his DNA would be found on the firearm.

This case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the trafficking of dangerous drugs like fentanyl, which has fueled the opioid crisis across the country.

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