MISSOULA — A Kalispell woman was sentenced Wednesday on federal drug charges.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich stated in a news release that Destinee Rayne Hardesty, 40 — who admitted to conspiring to traffic methamphetamine in the Flathead Valley after acknowledging she had planned to take possession of a two-pound package of the drug — was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Hardesty had pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.
The government alleged in court documents that Hardesty assisted in the distribution of large amounts of meth in the Flathead Valley. In March 2020 in Kalispell, law enforcement officers made a controlled delivery of a package previously determined to contain two pounds of meth to a Kalispell residence.
Hardesty walked up to the residence and when interviewed, admitted that she had planned to take possession of the package and distribute the meth to various customers in Kalispell. Hardesty further admitted that she communicated with other co-conspirators about when the drugs were arriving and opened three packages of meth and separated the drug into quantities for delivery.
Hardesty further admitted she had made about 50 deliveries of meth over a year, kept the drug at her residence and was involved in paying for the meth shipments.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northwest Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Missoula Drug Task Force.
