MISSOULA – A Twin Bridges man who admitted selling meth in Madison County, as well as Bozeman and Butte, plead guilty to federal drug charges.
Martin James Walsh, 53, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeramiah Lynch presided over the hearing.
According to sentencing documents, the amount of methamphetamine found in Walsh’s residence was approximately 260 grams or 2,080 dosing units.
Beginning in October 2016, the South West Montana Drug Task Force (SWMDTF) used a confidential informant to purchase an 8 ball of methamphetamine from Walsh.
The next month the SWMDTF again made an undercover purchase of ¼ ounce of methamphetamine from Walsh.
In June 2017, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office used another confidential informant to purchase a small amount of heroin from Walsh.
According to court documents, sheriff deputies obtained a search warrant for Walsh’s residence in Twin Bridges based upon the purchases. During the search of Walsh’s home, they found a digital scale, several glass smoking pipes, a large box containing four bags of a white crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Walsh was home at the time of the search. He was detained and read his Miranda rights.
Further investigation by the Missouri River Drug Task Force learned that Walsh had been supplying large quantities of methamphetamine to a distributor in Bozeman.
It was learned that between July 2016 through January 2017, Walsh had distributed 1,357 grams, or 10,856 dosing units, of methamphetamine to his co-conspirator to be distributed throughout the Gallatin County area.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan R. Whittaker and investigated by the FBI, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, South West Montana Drug Task Force, and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.
