Helena Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Drug Trafficking

David Moorse found with 94 grams of meth, 131 grams of fentanyl during casino arrest

By Staff Writer
Aug 27, 2025

HELENA — A Helena man was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced Wednesday.

David Alan Moorse, 39, received a 148-month prison sentence followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided over the sentencing in Great Falls federal court.

The case began when law enforcement received information that Moorse was distributing fentanyl powder in Montana. According to court documents, Moorse told a source he had “a good hook up in Helena” and sent pictures of a brick of fentanyl powder.

On January 9, 2025, officers arrested Moorse at a Helena casino on a state probation violation warrant. A search of his vehicle revealed 94 grams of methamphetamine, 106 grams of fentanyl pills and 25 grams of fentanyl powder.

“Moorse admitted in an interview that he sold one to ten fentanyl pills a day to make a little money to buy a few grams of meth for personal use,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Despite the large quantity of drugs found in his car, Moorse denied distributing significant amounts.

Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Moorse’s phone and discovered messages related to the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, providing additional evidence of his drug trafficking activities.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, with the investigation conducted by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide program that brings together law enforcement agencies and communities to reduce violent crime and drug offenses. The Department of Justice launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy in May 2021, focusing on fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities and measuring results.