Missoula woman sentenced to 10 years in prison on meth trafficking, firearm charges

MISSOULA - A Missoula woman who was trafficking meth into Montana was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Jennifer Lynn Stephens, 45, pleaded guilty in June 2026 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.

The government alleged in court documents that Stephens was a known meth dealer in Missoula. Law enforcement had learned from multiple sources that Stephens was making two trips a week to Washington where her connection supplied her with 7 to 10 pounds of meth per trip.

Agents began tracking Stephens's movements, and in February 2026, as she was returning from Washington, they pulled her over near Arlee. In the vehicle, law enforcement found several pounds of meth and a handgun. They searched Stephens's house and, in a safe, found bags of meth, currency from the U.S. and Russia, gold coins and bars, and a 9mm pistol. Agents found another 9mm pistol in a safe in her bedroom and found a 30-30 rifle behind her bedroom door.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The FBI's Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.