(Great Falls) – A Box Elder man accused of trafficking drugs on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation after law enforcement found a pound of methamphetamine and eight fire firearms in his truck admitted to charges on Tuesday according to United States Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
Thomas Knife aka “Smurf” 41, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Knife faces a mandatory 10 years to life in prison , a $10 Million dollar fine and at least five years of supervised release.
The government alleged in court documents that in December 2022, law enforcement made a traffic stop on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation of an individual who was suspected of bringing large quantities of controlled substances to Montana. During the stop, Knife arrived driving a truck. knife told officers that the vehicle involved in the traffic stop belonged to him. Officers ultimately arrested Knife on a warrant. As they took Knife into custody, officers saw a short barreled shotgun inside the truck he had been driving. During a search of the truck, officers found more that $500, approximately one pound of meth, and eight firearms including a .22 caliber rifle and a 20-gauge shotgun that appeared to have modified barrels. There also were hundreds of rounds of ammunition in the vehicle. Knife was on felony state probation at the time.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Then court set sentencing for August 24th. Knife was detained pending further proceedings.
