Gregory Paul Green, 63 years old, and his daughter, Brittany Green, 29 years old, from 1716 Westwood Drive, Billings, Montana were arrested for allegedly running a large-scale drug trafficking operation over the deep web in exchange of cryptocurrency, mainly bitcoin.
The U.S. District Court in Billings released a preliminary affidavit on Friday the 4th of January 2019, in which special FBI agent Michael Robinson describes the investigation. The court testimony details the house raid executed just a day before that had brought to light a hidden “clandestine methamphetamine lab” in the basement. Both accused are currently being held under custody at the Yellowstone County Detention Facility without bond under federal charges of conspiracy to distribute schedule II controlled substances. They risk a minimum of 10 years of incarceration and fines starting from $50,000.
The investigation started on 18th of December 2018 after Michigan Customs and Border Patrol officers seized a parcel from Canada destined to Green’s home. More so, the package was labeled “organic fitness vitamin,” but instead, the officers found 1,500 Xanax (alprazolam) tablets.
Two weeks later, on January the 3rd 2019, the FBI raided Green’s house. The leader of the operation, FBI Officer Michael Robinson, wrote the findings of the raid in the affidavit presented in court:
1. Upon accessing the basement, an improvised meth laboratory was discovered. The Billings Fire Department’s hazmat team was called to further inspect and secure the perimeter. Brittany Green declared that the laboratory was not intended to manufacture drugs, but for “washing” them. Meaning that the laboratory was used to remove impurities from the trafficked drugs.
According to Montana Criminal law, the distinction between the two is fairly significant: drug manufacturing and distribution are two distinct criminal accusations which imply different cumulative prison terms;
2. Also in the basement, the agents found hundreds of paraphernalia items, hundreds of feet of glass tubing used to create meth pipes, a 100-pound (45 kg) butane tank, and documented instructions on how to “combine drugs for redistribution,” intended for Brittany Green, the official court affidavit describes;
3. In Gregory’s room on the first floor, the FBI found a computer with the darknet marketplace page displayed from where the pair was selling drugs;
4. Financial paperwork was also secured with indications of bitcoin transactions;
5. A ready-to-go parcel was discovered in the office containing a quarter-ounce (7 grams) of methamphetamine and two Xanax pills;
6. Among many unidentified substances awaiting forensic analysis, carfentanil was also found in the residence.
Gregory Paul and Brittany Green are awaiting sentencing at a currently unknown date.
https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/45/9/45-9-101.htm
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