Red Lodge man sentenced to over 18 years in prison for drug, gun crimes

BILLINGS - A Red Lodge man who trafficking large amounts of meth into Montana and unlawfully possessed a handgun was sentenced Wednesday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Chad Allen Bachmann, 46, who pleaded guilty in January 2026, was sentenced to 18 years and eight months in prison with five years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and 15 years in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Both sentences will run concurrently.

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

The government alleged in court documents that Bachmann had smuggled roughly 20 pounds of methamphetamine into Montana from the Pacific Northwest, and that he unlawfully owned a handgun.

In early spring 2025, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received information that Bachmann was possibly involved in trafficking meth. After surveillance, agents obtained a warrant for Bachmann's storage unit and searched it on May 29, 2025. They found Bachmann inside.

Bachmann acknowledged after the search that he had trafficked "large amounts" of meth from Washington, Oregon, and California into Montana. He admitted to taking multiple trips to meet with his suppliers, two men he knew only as "Tony" and "Tiger." In the storage unit, agents found 14 pounds of meth, $10,520 in cash, drug paraphernalia, and a drug ledger. In Bachmann's truck, they found a .45 pistol. Bachmann has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

In June 2025, law enforcement learned Bachmann was continuing to sell meth and was planning to leave the state to renew his supply. Using a search warrant, Task Force members monitored Bachmann's truck and tracked it travelling to Spokane, Washington, and back into Montana. West of Missoula, Montana Highway Patrol pulled Bachmann over and found 6 pounds of meth in his truck.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation.