Oregon Man Sentenced to Nearly 7 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl and Meth in Montana

By Lucille McNamara On May 14, 2026

An Oregon man will spend nearly seven years in prison for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine in Billings.

Derry Jerel Howard (55) was sentenced yesterday to 82 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

Tidings Insight

The sentence reflects federal drug trafficking exposure, not a state case. Howard pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, then received prison time plus supervised release.

He had pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

According to court documents, Howard was found selling drugs in Billings on January 11, 2023, after law enforcement received a tip-off. He was pulled over for committing several traffic offenses.

When Howard stepped out of the vehicle, a baggie containing suspected meth was observed on the driver’s seat, and a container with suspected fentanyl pills was also in plain view on the rear seat.

A passenger in the vehicle told law enforcement officers that they were en-route to sell drugs when they were stopped. He also said there was a large cache of drugs in Howard’s apartment.

Tidings Insight

The search warrant matters because prosecutors tied the traffic stop to a larger stash at Howard’s residence, strengthening the distribution evidence beyond what officers saw in the vehicle.

A search warrant of Howard’s residence uncovered 153 grams of fentanyl, 117 grams of methamphetamine, and a large amount of U.S. currency.

The case was prosecuted by U.S. Assistant Attorney Colin Rubich and investigated by the Billings Police Department.