Billings, Montana – A Billings woman who played a role in distributing large amounts of methamphetamine across the community has been sentenced to federal prison. Stephanie Marie Nava, 37, received a sentence of 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for her involvement in trafficking meth, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Nava pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
The case began on June 26, 2023, when Billings Police determined that Nava’s apartment was being used by her co-defendant to store narcotics. Officers served a state search warrant at the location, where Nava was present. When questioned, she claimed she had no knowledge of what was being stored there. However, a search of the apartment revealed 7 grams of fentanyl pills and 16.7 grams of methamphetamine in a back bedroom.
The investigation expanded when law enforcement executed a search warrant on a hotel room in Billings, where they seized approximately 2.77 pounds of meth. Authorities later confirmed that the hotel room initially contained 8 pounds of meth, but the majority had already been distributed.
Further investigation led to another search warrant at a separate residence, where officers seized an additional eight ounces of meth. Officials concluded that the original 8 pounds and the ongoing drug distribution were coordinated by Nava and her co-defendant while they were in Mexico.
“The drugs were not only stored locally but were part of a much larger operation that extended beyond U.S. borders,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office noted.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with investigative support from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Billings Police Department.
