Billings man sentenced to prison for trafficking drugs

BILLINGS - A Billings man who trafficked drugs while working as a cab driver was sentenced today to 42 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Sammy Joe Nava, 51, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possession with intent to distribute, and three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.

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

The government alleged in court documents that while working as a driver for Yellow Cab, Nava and a partner were selling meth around Billings.

Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, law enforcement learned in June 2022 that Yellow Cab employees known as "Sam" and "Dave" were selling meth across town. Sam provided the meth and Dave was a middleman who helped with the buys, according to the informant. Agents later identified "Sam" as Sammy Joe Nava.

Between June 13 and June 29, 2022, law enforcement set up four different buys using the informant, who purchased increasing amounts of meth from the two men. The informant would contact Dave, later identified as David Lee Owen, who would drive the informant to Nava's location. Owen would take the informant's money, go inside and return with the meth.

The informant started by purchasing 27.8 grams of meth, then 28.5 grams, and then 111.9 grams. On the final buy, the informant set up a purchase for a pound of meth, roughly 445 grams. Agents moved in and arrested Owen at the Yellow Cab offices where he was found with the pound of meth. Nava was arrested afterward.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the DEA conducted the investigation.

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