Great Falls pair sentenced to over 5 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl

GREAT FALLS - A man and woman from Great Falls who were trafficking fentanyl together have been sentenced to prison, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Kylie Lynn Minardi, 24, who pleaded guilty in June 2026 to distributing fentanyl and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to five years and two months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.

Zachary Taylor Cortez, 28, who pleaded guilty in May 2026 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced Sept. 23, 2026, to five years and two months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement suspected Cortez and Minardi were distributing fentanyl in Great Falls. From June to August 2024, the Great Falls Police Department launched an investigation into the pair. With a warrant to track and search Cortez's vehicle, law enforcement pulled the two over and discovered 97 grams of fentanyl in pill form and a digital scale in the car.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Great Falls Police Department, the Russell Country Drug Taskforce, and the DEA conducted the investigation.