Hector Contreras pleaded guilty earlier to all 10 counts in two indictments. The charges included conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, meth and marijuana. There was no plea agreement.
Contreras apologized to the U.S. government, the state of Montana and Billings residents "for ever coming here with this stuff."Cebull found Contreras to be a supervisor or manager of the scheme that brought drugs from California to Billings and noted that some of the meth seized in the investigation was 99 percent pure. In addition, Contreras' criminal history began when he was a juvenile and includes gang activities and two deportations. He was first deported in 1993 from El Paso, Texas. Contreras returned and was convicted and sentenced for conspiring to commit a kidnapping in California in 2001. He was deported again in July 2003 after his serving his conspiracy sentence and returned illegally less than a week later, the judges said.Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Seykora said Contreras pleaded guilty to get credit for taking responsibility but did not cooperate. He also used innocent victims in the scheme to bring drugs to Billings, Seykora said.Contreras was indicted along with Baltazar Escobar, Melissa Shumsky and Sharon Moreno.Seykora said an investigation led to the interdiction of 135 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of meth during an April 2005 traffic stop of two vehicles on Interstate 90 near Billings. The drugs were found in a search of a van driven by Shumsky. Contreras was driving the second car. Shumsky admitted that she made three trips and brought 226 pounds of marijuana to Billings and denied knowing about the meth. Moreno was a passenger in Shumsky's van and admitted to having a meth pipe and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. She was sentenced to time served of 158 days.
The investigation also found that Escobar sold cocaine three times in 2005 to an undercover detective. The cocaine came from Contreras, Seykora said. Escobar was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Shumsky is awaiting sentencing for a conviction on conspiring to distribute marijuana.
Contreras apologized to the U.S. government, the state of Montana and Billings residents "for ever coming here with this stuff."Cebull found Contreras to be a supervisor or manager of the scheme that brought drugs from California to Billings and noted that some of the meth seized in the investigation was 99 percent pure. In addition, Contreras' criminal history began when he was a juvenile and includes gang activities and two deportations. He was first deported in 1993 from El Paso, Texas. Contreras returned and was convicted and sentenced for conspiring to commit a kidnapping in California in 2001. He was deported again in July 2003 after his serving his conspiracy sentence and returned illegally less than a week later, the judges said.Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Seykora said Contreras pleaded guilty to get credit for taking responsibility but did not cooperate. He also used innocent victims in the scheme to bring drugs to Billings, Seykora said.Contreras was indicted along with Baltazar Escobar, Melissa Shumsky and Sharon Moreno.Seykora said an investigation led to the interdiction of 135 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of meth during an April 2005 traffic stop of two vehicles on Interstate 90 near Billings. The drugs were found in a search of a van driven by Shumsky. Contreras was driving the second car. Shumsky admitted that she made three trips and brought 226 pounds of marijuana to Billings and denied knowing about the meth. Moreno was a passenger in Shumsky's van and admitted to having a meth pipe and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. She was sentenced to time served of 158 days.
The investigation also found that Escobar sold cocaine three times in 2005 to an undercover detective. The cocaine came from Contreras, Seykora said. Escobar was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Shumsky is awaiting sentencing for a conviction on conspiring to distribute marijuana.
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