MISSOULA — A pair of Missoula residents who were accused of working together to distribute more than 100,000 fentanyl pills and pounds of meth in the community admitted to charges on Friday, December 20.
U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a news release that Taylor Gale Penny, 35, and Joey Lee Forward, 34, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Penny and Forward face a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.
Penny was detained pending further proceedings while Forward was released pending further proceedings.
Prosecutors stated in court documents that the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force was investigating Penny and Forward for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine between November 2023 and September 2024.
Information received indicated the defendants were moving more than 100,000 fentanyl pills and pounds of meth.
During various encounters with law enforcement, the defendants possessed more than 1,000 fentanyl pills and 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine.
Confidential sources stated that Penny and Forward were the biggest dealers in Missoula, according to the news release.
Following her arrest on Sept. 3, 2024, Penny told law enforcement that she began distributing fentanyl in January 2024 to support her habit. In March 2024, she was distributing approximately 5,000 fentanyl pills per week in Missoula.
Overall, she admitted to distributing well over 120,000 pills over the last nine months.
Penny told law enforcement she met Forward two years prior and was purchasing fentanyl pills from him. They then began to work together, and she would cut him in on profits she received.
Penny estimated that Forward distributed four ounces of methamphetamine every week over the last six months, for approximately six pounds of methamphetamine.
Forward told law enforcement that he would distribute 85 fentanyl pills each day and admitted also distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl powder.
Sentencing in the case was set for April 24, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.
