Missoula man sentenced to over four years in prison on drug trafficking charges

BILLINGS - A Missoula man who trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl from Washington to Montana was sentenced today to 55 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.

Nathanial John Shoen, 33, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Shoen, along with Devon Bond and Joseph Cierley, was transporting methamphetamine and fentanyl from Washington state to Missoula with plans to distribute.

Bond, 29, was sentenced on April 24, 2026, to 10 years and six months in prison and five years of supervised release. Cierley, 38, was sentenced on May 19, 2026, to seven years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Law enforcement officers began surveillance on Shoen, Bond and Cierley in summer 2025 after receiving a tip from an informant that the group was bringing back "pounds of methamphetamine and ounces of fentanyl" from Washington.

Officers conducted a traffic stop in July 2025 of a vehicle in which the three men were traveling. In the vehicle, agents discovered 896.9 grams, or nearly 2 pounds, of meth, 66.4 grams of fentanyl pills and a loaded .357 revolver. A search of the men's cell phones showed that all three were involved in distributing the drugs.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missoula Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.