Great Falls Meth Ring Member Pleads Guilty in Montana: Supplied Up to 80 Pounds, Faces 15 Years to Life
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana announced that Leland Neal Lapier, Jr., 42, of Great Falls, a city in Cascade County, Montana, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Scott Twito announced the plea. Lapier was one of the last defendants to plead guilty in a far-reaching drug ring investigation based in Great Falls.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Lapier faces 15 years to life in prison, at least 10 years of supervised release, a $20 million fine, and a $100 special assessment. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 17, 2027. Lapier was released subject to conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Lapier was linked to a drug trafficking organization run by, among others, Dan Wakeford and Mike Wakeford. In 2024, investigators seized over 100 pounds of methamphetamine and an illegal firearm in an Arizona storage unit connected to the conspiracy. Law enforcement learned that Lapier supplied methamphetamine to Dan Wakeford starting around 2020, providing an estimated 30 to 80 pounds over roughly the next year at $8,000 a pound.
After Dan Wakeford was arrested, Mike Wakeford connected with Lapier, and the two worked together buying and trafficking methamphetamine until Mike Wakeford was arrested in May 2025. Lapier, who continued to traffic methamphetamine, was arrested in Great Falls in February 2026. Investigators learned that multiple other individuals both provided and received methamphetamine from Lapier during this period.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Zeno Baucus are prosecuting the case. The Russell Country Drug Task Force, including the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), conducted the investigation. The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative. (Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部大楼墙标（联邦固定图库）。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters wall sign in Washington, D.C. (federal asset library).
