A California man has been sentenced to 180 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Bozeman, starting in 2022, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced Wednesday.
Shante Maurice Anthony, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in March 2025. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information in 2024 that Anthony had been selling drugs in the Bozeman area since 2022. Agents discovered that Anthony, who resides in California, was traveling to Montana multiple times to distribute meth and fentanyl. Informants reported that he would mail drugs to Bozeman, fly to the area to pick them up, and distribute them. DEA records indicated that Anthony made an average of two trips to Bozeman each month for several months.
On November 20, 2024, Anthony planned to travel to Bozeman the next day and sent a package believed to contain drugs. After contacting the Postal Service on November 22 to check on the package's status, the DEA collaborated with a Postal Inspector, who located the parcel at the Bozeman Post Office. A search revealed 1,000 fentanyl pills and a quarter-pound of methamphetamine. Further evidence, including text messages and phone calls, confirmed Anthony's involvement in distribution.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the DEA and the Missouri River Drug Task Force. Following his prison sentence, Anthony will serve five years of supervised release.
