Newhart admitted to obtaining the drugs through the dark web.

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

1 1 minute read

Newhart admitted to obtaining the drugs through the dark web.

A Billings man who admitted to obtaining methamphetamine and fentanyl on the dark web to distribute in the Billings community was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Ryan William Newhart, 29, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that in May 2023, law enforcement received information that Newhart was distributing methamphetamine in the community and receiving large quantities through the mail. In June 2023, officers obtained a search warrant at Newhart’s home and seized 427 grams, or nearly a pound, of methamphetamine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl pills.

Newhart admitted to selling approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine between September 2022 and June 2023 and obtaining the drug via the dark web. Ten pounds of methamphetamine is equivalent to approximately 36,240 doses.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.