Great Falls Man Sentenced to 20 Years After 100 Pounds of Meth Found

GREAT FALLS — Daniel Allen Wakeford, a 61-year-old resident of Great Falls, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for his involvement in a significant drug distribution and money laundering operation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced on Wednesday.

Wakeford pleaded guilty in October 2024 to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, along with a count of money laundering. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the case.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Wakeford had played a major role in distributing methamphetamine in Great Falls and surrounding areas for several years.

Prosecutors presented a witness who had been receiving methamphetamine from Wakeford since 2020. Initially, the witness received about two pounds of methamphetamine, but in March 2021, they obtained approximately five pounds for resale, according to law enforcement surveillance that supported the witness’s assertions.

The investigation revealed that numerous individuals received methamphetamine from Wakeford between 2020 and 2024, describing how Wakeford and others facilitated drug distribution. In February 2024, an individual identified as John Doe was captured in Billings, Montana, in possession of 78 grams of methamphetamine. He testified to assisting Wakeford in packaging large sums of cash and mentioned that he was given methamphetamine by Wakeford for distribution.

Despite the scale of the operation, Wakeford lacked a legitimate income source throughout the conspiracy. Nevertheless, he managed to pay $16,534 in cash for a new snowmobile on November 21, 2022, indicating involvement in substantial cash flow.

A subsequent search of Wakeford’s home after the indictment yielded information about a storage unit he leased in Phoenix, Arizona. Law enforcement arrested Wakeford in Utah while he was driving a motorhome valued at over $40,000. Investigators discovered $62,000 in cash and documentation related to the Arizona storage unit inside the motorhome.

Federal agents in Arizona, armed with a search warrant, uncovered over 100 pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm in the storage unit. This evidence further demonstrated the scale and seriousness of Wakeford’s criminal activities.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Jeff Starnes, with the investigation conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force. It was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), aimed at disrupting high-level criminal organizations in the U.S.

The sentencing marks a significant win for law enforcement efforts to combat drug-related crimes in the region, paving the way for further investigations into similar criminal networks.