Missoula man sentenced to over 3 years for trafficking fentanyl into Montana

MISSOULA - A Missoula man who made repeated drugs runs to Washington state was sentenced today to three years and four months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Eric Joseph Wright, 46, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

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

The government alleged in court documents that Wright was making regular trips to Washington state to pick up illicit drugs to bring back to Montana. A tip to law enforcement led officers to pull over Wright on Feb. 2, 2026, where they found three ounces of fentanyl under the vehicle's passenger seat.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The FBI's Montana Regional Violent Crime 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.