GREAT FALLS — Jacqueline Marie Kirkaldie of Great Falls, who admitted possessing heroin for distribution as part of a Great Falls methamphetamine and heroin distribution ring, was sentenced in federal court on Thursday.
U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said in a press release that Kirkaldie, 32 years old, was sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison followed by five years of supervised release
Kirkaldie pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided at the sentencing.
An investigation into a meth and heroin ring in Great Falls began in September 2018 by the Russell Country Drug Task force and Drug Enforcement Administration, the prosecution said in court records.
Investigators became aware that Kirkaldie redistributed meth and heroin for the group, which included co-defendants Anthony Beltran and David Awberry. Beltran has pleaded not guilty and is pending trial. Awberry has pleaded guilty and awaiting sentencing. Kirkaldie possessed with intent to distribute meth and heroin from September 2018 until April.
Prosecutors allege that Beltran had a California source for drugs and that he used numerous individuals, including Kirkaldie, to redistribute the drugs in Great Falls. A witness told law enforcement that he or she bought heroin from Kirkaldie and had seen her in possession with distributable amounts of heroin and meth.
When arrested at a casino in on January 5, Kirkaldie had two baggies of heroin. Another individual told law enforcement of receiving heroin from Kirkaldie.
In April 2019, law enforcement seized 2,191 grams, or about 4.8 pounds, of actual methamphetamine from a home where the group stored their drugs. The amount of meth seized from the home is the equivalent of about 17,395 doses.
