Man from Netherlands sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering

MISSOULA - A man from the Netherlands who trafficked more than ten kilograms of fentanyl into Montana and other states was sentenced today to 240 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Gerad Nigel Punch, 40, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

"This defendant and his organization mailed a staggering quantity of drugs from Arizona to Montana and other states and laundered the proceeds," said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. "The sentence he received today sends a message to drug traffickers around the country that we will take the fight to them to keep Montana safe. I'm grateful to the lawyers and staff in our office and our law enforcement partners for working so hard to dismantle this criminal organization."

"This investigation and subsequent conviction are a great example of how we can work with our federal partners to keep Montana communities drug free. I'm especially proud of the work that was done by the Division of Criminal Investigation to get this poison off our streets," Attorney General Austin Knudsen said. "As Attorney General, I will continue to use every resource available to the state to keep drugs out of our communities, criminals behind bars, and Montana safe."

"While the enforcement of our nation's tax laws remains our top priority, IRS Criminal Investigation plays a critical role in the battle against narcotics trafficking as well," said Amanda Prestegard, IRS-CI Denver Field Office Special Agent in Charge. "We target the illicit financial networks that fund these criminal organizations, and work side-by- side with our law enforcement partners to ensure drug traffickers cannot continue profiting from addiction and suffering in our communities."

"Today's sentencing of Punch sends a clear message that those who traffic dangerous and deadly narcotics through our communities will be held accountable," said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. "The Postal Inspection Service along with our partners fights every day to keep these poisonous drugs from reaching communities across Montana. One pill, one gram, that's all it takes to change the course of someone's life. Removing someone like Punch from the streets is one step closer to the goal of ending this epidemic"

"This investigation successfully dismantled a major drug trafficking and money laundering organization responsible for moving over 300,000 fentanyl pills into Montana in 2024 before they were arrested," said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Deputy Special Agent in Charge for the Rocky Mountain Region Charles Engle. "HSI would like to thank all of its investigative partners for the outstanding work. The collaborative investigation led to charges against 14 defendants, making a significant impact on Montana and its communities."

The government alleged in court documents that Between February 2023 and March 2025, members of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) headed by Gerad Nigel Punch transported fentanyl into Montana for distribution. Punch and his coconspirators mailed and transported fentanyl from Phoenix, Arizona, for distribution to local dealers in Texas, Washington, and Montana.

When the fentanyl arrived in Montana, Punch either directly distributed those drugs to local traffickers or arranged for other coconspirators to sell the drugs. Punch was paid several different ways for the drugs he provided, including through coconspirators depositing money in Montana bank accounts he controlled, but were opened in the names his coconspirators. Punch would then withdraw the funds the coconspirators deposited as payment for the drugs. Punch also utilized money transfer services, like Cash App and Western Union, to both receive and distribute money to further the DTO.

During the investigation of Punch's DTO, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of fentanyl. Punch was personally caught with over 2,000 grams of fentanyl, which he sold to an undercover officer in Butte in October 2024.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, which includes agents from the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.

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