Man operating trafficking ring from California prison pleads guilty to drug charges

BILLINGS - An inmate who was running a drug ring from inside a California state prison admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.

Dion Andre Davis II, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Davis faces 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, at least five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen S. Lane presided and will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 2, 2026. Davis remained incarcerated pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that Davis was head of a large-scale, multistate narcotics trafficking organization, which he operated from his prison cell using contraband mobile phones.

Law enforcement learned in June 2023 that Christina Hill and Nathan Wilnau were selling illicit drugs in Billings. Hill was a local leader in the operation and was sending money to a source in California, who then sent packages of fentanyl and methamphetamine to Billings and to Cody, Wyoming.

Hill was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison on drug possession and money laundering charges. Wilnau was sentenced in June to 11 years in prison on meth possession charges.

During the investigation, law enforcement discovered images on Hill's phone of FedEx receipts for packages mailed from California and pictures of large sums of cash corresponding to the dates on the FedEx receipts. Also found on Hill's phone were images of text conversations with Davis where she ordered $72,500 worth of fentanyl and $96,000 worth of methamphetamine.

A search warrant on Davis's phones found messages to a handful of associates, including Hill, directing the distribution of drugs, which would be shipped or delivered to Wyoming and Montana. Davis demanded payments, discussed shipments, instructed his associates on how to evade law enforcement, and complained about drug debts. Davis's contraband phones were confiscated in April 2024 and he was subsequently charged.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. The DEA and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation 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.