Billings man sentenced to 14 years for trafficking meth with firearm

BILLINGS - A Billings man who trafficked meth and unlawfully kept a stash of guns was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Jacob Bradley Long, 25, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing a firearm.

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

The government alleged in court documents that Long was periodically traveling to Colorado to pick up methamphetamine that he then sold in Billings. Law enforcement learned from multiple sources in May 2025 that Long was trafficking meth and using a gun for protection. Officers executed a search warrant on Long's residence in June 2025 and found three guns and ammunition. Long had been convicted of a felony in 2020 and so was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Law enforcement continued their investigation and tracked Long's vehicle on a trip to Colorado in July 2025. When they attempted to pull him over in Big Horn County, Long fled from officers, who used a spike strip to stop Long's vehicle. Long had thrown three pounds of meth from the car during the pursuit, which officers subsequently found on the side of the highway. A second search of Long's house turned up an additional firearm and small amounts of meth and fentanyl.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, ATF and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.