Two western Montana men, part of drug ring, sentenced to prison for trafficking meth

MISSOULA - Two men from western Montana who transported and sold meth as part of a large drug trafficking ring were sentenced to prison Wednesday, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith.

Michael James Storey, 57, of Hamilton, who pleaded guilty in May 2026 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced to seven years in prison with five years of supervised release.

Jade Taylor Budd, 31, of Frenchtown, who pleaded guilty in May 2026 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced to 10 years in prison with five years of supervised release.

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

The government alleged in court documents that Storey and Budd, independent of each other, were bringing methamphetamine into the Missoula area and selling it. The two had ties to the same drug trafficking operation, which Missoula law enforcement had begun to investigate in 2024.

Officers pulled over Storey on Feb. 6, 2025, and found 13 grams of methamphetamine in his car. On his phone were messages coordinating a trip to Spokane, Washington, with Jamie Maki, a co-defendant, to buy more meth. He told investigators he and Maki traveled to Spokane twice to make purchases, buying a half pound on the first trip and one pound on the second. He estimated he was selling 3 to 5 ounces of meth a week.

Maki was arrested on drug trafficking charges earlier this year.

Budd was stopped at a Missoula Burger King on July 4, 2024, after police got reports of people using drugs in the parking lot. Officers searched Budd's car and found pre-packaged bags of meth. They searched his phone and found messages between him and two others that indicated he was trafficking meth and looking for buyers.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Missoula Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.