{"version":1,"id":"us/mt","name":"Montana, United States","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/country/us/mt/","count":3,"totals":{"reports":3,"arrested":2,"plants_destroyed":0,"hectares":0,"kg_seized":31.75,"deaths":0},"by_type":{"eradication":0,"seizure":0,"raid":1,"arrest":0,"prosecution":1,"sentence":1,"execution":0,"death":0},"latest":"2018-01-16","reports":[{"id":"stillwater-county-i90-70lb-traffic-stop-charges","code":"CET-XABPJ0","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/stillwater-county-i90-70lb-traffic-stop-charges/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/XABPJ0/","date":"2018-01-16","added_at":"2026-11-09T06:29:13.512349Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":null,"country":"us/mt","country_name":"Montana, United States","place":"Interstate 90 at mile marker 408, Stillwater County, Montana","coordinates":[45.6371,-109.7671],"precision":"locality","type":"prosecution","also":["seizure","arrest"],"title":"Two charged over 70 lb of marijuana found in Montana traffic stop","summary":"James Yannick Van Sluytman, a Guyanese national, and Bing Yuan Liang were charged in Montana after a trooper found about 70 pounds of suspected marijuana and US$1,700 in cash in their rented car on Interstate 90. Both were held on US$125,000 bail.","status":"verified","figures":{"arrested":2,"charged":2,"kg_seized":31.75,"cash":{"amount":1700,"currency":"USD"}},"details":{"agencies":["Montana Highway Patrol","Stillwater County Attorney's Office","Yellowstone County Detention Facility"],"agency_types":["police","prosecutor"],"products":[{"product":"flower","kg":31.75}],"activity":["trafficking","possession"],"setting":["vehicle","street"],"charges":["possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute"],"case_stage":"charged","date_precision":"exact","region":"Stillwater County, Montana"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[2],"details.agencies":[2],"details.agency_types":[2],"details.case_stage":[1],"details.charges":[2],"details.products":[1],"details.setting":[1],"figures.arrested":[1],"figures.cash":[1],"figures.charged":[2],"figures.kg_seized":[1]},"tags":["montana","traffic-stop","interstate-90","trafficking","stillwater-county"],"cover":null,"media":[{"kind":"photo","url":"http://stillwater.server265.com/70poundsofpot","media_url":"http://stillwater.server265.com/sites/default/files/styles/slideshow/public/field/image/70%20Pounds%20of%20Pot.Vansluytman%2C%20James.jpg","publisher":"Stillwater County News","caption":"Booking photograph of James Yannick Van Sluytman published with the report on the I-90 stop. Photo: Yellowstone County Detention Facility, via Stillwater County News"},{"kind":"photo","url":"http://stillwater.server265.com/70poundsofpot","media_url":"http://stillwater.server265.com/sites/default/files/styles/slideshow/public/field/image/70%20Pounds%20of%20Pot.Liang%2C%20Bing-1.jpg","publisher":"Stillwater County News","caption":"Booking photograph of Bing Yuan Liang published with the report on the I-90 stop. Photo: Yellowstone County Detention Facility, via Stillwater County News"}],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"swancloud/muse-spark-1.3-contributor#xhigh","open_questions":["The incident is placed at Interstate 90 mile marker 408 in Stillwater County and the coordinates mark Columbus, the county seat, rather than the exact stopping point.","The 70 pounds is described only as suspected marijuana, with no laboratory confirmation or separate net weight reported.","The charge is one felony count of possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute; the article does not state the state statute or the potential penalty.","No court outcome, plea or later proceedings for either man were found in the opened sources.","The booking photographs are published by Stillwater County News, which credits them only through the image title as Yellowstone County Detention Facility pictures.","The wider I-90 seizure totals of 90 pounds of marijuana and eight pounds of methamphetamine in six weeks refer to other stops and are not counted in this event's figures."],"sources":[{"title":"Guyanese among two charged over 70lbs of ganja found after traffic stop in US","url":"https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/04/06/news/guyana/guyanese-among-two-charged-over-70lbs-of-ganja-found-after-traffic-stop-in-us/","publisher":"Stabroek News","date":"2018-04-06","archived":null},{"title":"70 pounds of pot on I-90","url":"http://stillwater.server265.com/70poundsofpot","publisher":"Stillwater County News","date":"2018-01-25","archived":null}]},{"id":"montana-cannabis-williams-five-years-2013","code":"CET-7H7QZR","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/montana-cannabis-williams-five-years-2013/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/7H7QZR/","date":"2013-02-01","added_at":"2026-11-03T14:07:54.316Z","added_at_source":"recorded","updated_at":"2026-11-06T23:29:51.000Z","country":"us/mt","country_name":"Montana, United States","place":"Federal courthouse, Missoula, Montana","coordinates":[46.872,-113.994],"precision":"locality","type":"sentence","also":[],"title":"Montana medical-marijuana grower Chris Williams gets five years","summary":"A federal judge in Missoula sentenced Montana Cannabis partner Christopher Williams to five years in prison on a firearms count, plus time served on a drug count, after he alone among the raided providers insisted on a trial. Facing stacked mandatory minimums of up to 80 years, he took a post-conviction deal dismissing six counts in exchange for waiving appeal.","status":"verified","figures":{"prison":"5 years plus 130 days (time served on the drug count)"},"details":{"agency_types":["prosecutor"],"products":[{"product":"flower"}],"activity":["trafficking","possession"],"setting":["prison"],"case_stage":"sentenced","date_precision":"exact"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[1],"details.agency_types":[1,2],"details.case_stage":[1,2],"details.date_precision":[1],"details.products":[1,2],"details.setting":[1],"figures.prison":[1,2]},"tags":["montana-cannabis","medical-marijuana","mandatory-minimums"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"muse-code/muse-spark-1.3#xhigh","open_questions":["What happened to Williams after sentencing, including any release, was not covered in the opened sources.","Trial evidence cited about 950 plants at the Helena grow while contemporaneous raid reporting cited 1,680; this report uses the trial figure."],"sources":[{"title":"Christopher Wayne Williams Sentenced In U.S. District Court","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/christopher-wayne-williams-sentenced-us-district-court","publisher":"US Attorney's Office, District of Montana","date":"2013-02-01","archived":"https://web.archive.org/web/20210805154512/https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/christopher-wayne-williams-sentenced-us-district-court"},{"title":"Plead Guilty or Go to Prison for Life","url":"https://reason.com/2013/01/02/plead-guilty-or-go-to-prison-for-life/","publisher":"Reason","date":"2013-01-02","archived":null}]},{"id":"montana-federal-dispensary-raids-2011","code":"CET-J1NVYM","url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/report/montana-federal-dispensary-raids-2011/","short_url":"https://tracker.cannabisfreedom.fyi/r/J1NVYM/","date":"2011-03-14","added_at":"2026-11-03T10:45:57.000Z","added_at_source":"git","updated_at":"2026-11-10T06:28:33.000Z","country":"us/mt","country_name":"Montana, United States","place":"13 cities across Montana, including Helena, Billings and Missoula","coordinates":[44.744,-103.63],"precision":"country","type":"raid","also":[],"title":"Federal agents raid 26 medical-marijuana sites across Montana","summary":"On 14 March 2011 federal agents executed 26 search warrants at medical-marijuana dispensaries and grow sites in 13 Montana cities, seizing plants, computers and bank accounts but making no arrests. The US Attorney called it an 18-month trafficking investigation; advocates called it an attack on the state's medical-marijuana law as lawmakers debated repeal.","status":"verified","figures":{},"details":{"agencies":["us-dea","us-fbi"],"agency_types":["anti-narcotics","police"],"products":[{"product":"flower"},{"product":"plants"}],"activity":["trafficking"],"setting":["home","prison"],"environment":["greenhouse"],"case_stage":"sentenced","sentence_types":["prison"],"date_precision":"exact"},"data_sources":{"details.activity":[2],"details.agencies":[1],"details.agency_types":[1],"details.case_stage":[1,2,3],"details.date_precision":[1],"details.environment":[1,2,3],"details.products":[1,2,3],"details.sentence_types":[1,2,3],"details.setting":[1,2,3]},"tags":["dea","medical-marijuana","search-warrants"],"cover":null,"media":[],"cfi_id":null,"created_by_model":"meta/muse-spark","open_questions":["No arrests were made in the raids; the later prosecution of the Helena greenhouse's operator is noted above, and other cases' outcomes were not reported."],"sources":[{"title":"Feds Execute 26 Search Warrants on Medical Marijuana Providers in 13 Montana Cities","url":"https://theweedblog.com/medical-marijuana-policy/feds-raid-marijuana-businesses-in-montana","publisher":"The Weed Blog","date":"2011-03-15","archived":null},{"title":"Feds raid marijuana operations across state","url":"https://whitefishpilot.com/news/2011/mar/22/feds-raid-marijuana-operations-across-state-9/","publisher":"Whitefish Pilot","date":"2011-03-22","archived":null},{"title":"Christopher Wayne Williams Sentenced In U.S. District Court","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/christopher-wayne-williams-sentenced-us-district-court","publisher":"US Attorney's Office, District of Montana","date":"2013-02-01","archived":"https://web.archive.org/web/20210805154512/https://www.justice.gov/usao-mt/pr/christopher-wayne-williams-sentenced-us-district-court"}]}]}