Billings man sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine

BILLINGS - A Billings man who distributed methamphetamine in Billings was sentenced today to 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Stetson Claude Nash McBride, 30, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned from a confidential informant McBride was offering to purchase methamphetamine on the Dark Web. As such, on February 21, 2024, the CI learned he/she could provide McBride $500 and acquire meth. The CI was provided with buy money, and a body wire was installed. The CI traveled to McBride's residence. On the wire, McBride can be heard telling the CI he would provide a tracking number once he got one.

On March 11, 2024, the CI contacted law enforcement and said the package should be there today. Law enforcement learned several packages had been located going to McBride's address. Law enforcement collected them and wrote a search warrant for one of the packages. On March 13, 2024, law enforcement opened the package pursuant to the warrant and discovered roughly 142 grams of a clear substance inside a sealed bag.

McBride's phone was collected as part of the investigation and, pursuant to a search warrant, reviewed for evidence. Numerous messages indicative of drug dealing activity between January and March 2024 were discovered. Moreover, the suspected drugs identified above were tested and found to contain roughly 98 grams of actual methamphetamine. Also, discovered on McBride's cellular phone were images of child sex abuse material.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service 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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