Dillon meth, fentanyl trafficker sentenced to more than 11 years in prison (DOJ)

MISSOULA - A Dillon man who admitted to trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl he obtained in Washington for distribution in southwest Montana was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Jason Louie Tong, 50, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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

The government alleged in court documents that in March 2023, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation learned that Tong was distributing drugs in southwest Montana. Law enforcement recovered drugs from Tong's vehicle twice in 2023, and during a third stop in 2023, officers arrested him and recovered drugs from his vehicle. Tong took at least four trips to Washington in 2023 to procure meth and fentanyl, with each trip yielding between five and 10 pounds of meth and 10,000 to 50,000 fentanyl pills.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Montana Highway Patrol, Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement and Idaho State Police 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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