GREAT FALLS — Melissa Ann Barone of Great Falls, who conspired to distribute significant amounts of methamphetamine, was sentenced in federal court on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.
Barone, 55 years old, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2020, law enforcement officers discovered Melissa Barone and her co-defendant were involved in distributing pounds of methamphetamine in and around Great Falls. Between 2020 and 2024, numerous drug associates advised law enforcement of the pair’s drug distribution activities and travels to Colorado, Washington and Arizona to obtain methamphetamine to redistribute in Montana.
Sources identified purchasing one-pound quantities of methamphetamine totaling over six to eight pounds within a 10-month period from 2020 to 2021.
In 2022 and 2023, sources reported Barone was trafficking half or full eightballs of methamphetamine for her co-defendant. It was discovered her codefendant was purchasing 50 to 100 pounds of methamphetamine at a time and spending over $100,000 delivered in bulk amounts. Barone and her co-defendant were purchasing vehicles and RVs at auto auctions for cash.
In February 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the defendants as they were traveling back to Montana from Texas. A K-9 detection dog alerted on the vehicle, and $17,000 in United States currency was found rubber banded to a seatbelt inside the vehicle.
On May 5, 2024, law enforcement executed a warrant and arrested Barone in Great Falls. A search of her purse revealed approximately 444.4 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, and paraphernalia.
Her vehicle contained $7,911 in United States currency, 46.3 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. During the seizure of a BMW owned by her co-defendant, law enforcement located $5,000 in United States currency in a vacuum-sealed bag concealed under the back seat.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided, and sentenced Marone to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to forfeit nearly $75,000 in cash, a gun, a BMW, and a motorhome.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force.
