Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula, on February 7, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, RICHARD D. GATEWOOD, a 24-year-old resident of California, appeared for sentencing. GATEWOOD was sentenced to a term of:

" Prison: 70 months

" Supervised Release: 5 years

GATEWOOD was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

Between early 2005 and February of 2007, an individual, hereafter referred to as D.W., distributed in excess of five kilograms of cocaine in Bozeman.

Testimony would have been given that D.W. distributed cocaine to several other drug dealers in the Bozeman area and that those drug dealers, in turn, distributed cocaine to others in Bozeman.

GATEWOOD was interviewed on several occasions since mid-May 2007. During the interviews, GATEWOOD admitted the following: (1) in the summer of 2005 he provided D.W. with money to invest in the purchase of cocaine; (2) he realized an ongoing profit from D.W.'s subsequent purchase and distribution of cocaine; (3) he ultimately received packages sent from California to Bozeman on D.W.'s behalf which contained cocaine; (4) he distributed some cocaine on behalf of D.W. to individuals in Bozeman; and (5) he deposited money derived from the sale of cocaine in Bozeman into an account maintained by D.W. at a local bank.

Testimony would have been given that the amount of cocaine distributed during the course of the conspiracy was in excess of five kilograms.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that GATEWOOD will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, GATEWOOD does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph E. Thaggard prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Bozeman and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.