Montana man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on meth, gun charges

Jul. 30—A 22-year-old Montana man who was arrested in Spokane Valley with a stolen gun and drugs in May 2020 has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

Tyrell W. Nault of Havre, Montana, had been charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Bastian handed down the sentence Thursday in Spokane , following Nault's guilty plea in December.

Federal prosecutors noted that at the time of Nault's arrest, warrants had been issued for him in Montana on other drug-related charges. Spokane County sheriff's deputies arrested him and found in his car 32 Oxycodone pills, 81 grams of methamphetamine and a 9 mm pistol, despite prior convictions that barred him from owning the weapon.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for Eastern Washington had sought a 151-month sentence in the case. Bastian imposed a 10-year sentence, after which Nault will be required to serve three years of probation.

Letters from Nault's mother and aunt said he'd grown up in a home where domestic violence and drug use were prevalent on the Rocky Boy Reservation south of Havre, home of the Chippewa Cree Tribe.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington Vanessa Waldref praised the work of federal and state law enforcement in investigating the case.

"Today's sentence removes Mr. Nault from our community for 10 years, sending an important signal that the U.S. Attorney's Office continues to vigorously prosecute those who distribute deadly narcotics in Eastern Washington," Waldref said.

Nault was listed in custody of the Spokane County Jail on Friday afternoon.