Great Falls man pleads guilty to drug charges

GREAT FALLS - A Great Falls man who was caught trafficking fentanyl pills admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.

The defendant, Zachary Taylor Cortez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and faces five to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine, at least four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for September 24, 2026. Cortez was remanded pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that from June to August 2024, the Great Falls Police Department launched an investigation into Cortez and a co-defendant, whom law enforcement officials suspected were distributing fentanyl in town. Through the course of the investigation, officers obtained a warrant to track and search Cortez's vehicle. Police then pulled over the vehicle and discovered 97 grams of fentanyl in pill form and a digital scale.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. The Great Falls Police Department, the Russell Country Drug Taskforce, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.