Kalispell teen pleads guilty to meth charge

A Kalispell teenager charged alongside a 43-year-old man after being caught with a quarter pound of methamphetamine in the bumper of a car has pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge.

Skyann Sartain, 19, and Steven Cate were charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute. Sartain pleaded guilty on Nov. 27 during Flathead District Court proceedings.

According to a court document, it was believed that Cate was transporting large amounts of meth to the Kalispell area and he was known to spend time with Sartain. On July 23, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by Sartain with Cate as passenger.

A cursory screen of the vehicle by a drug dog alerted law enforcement to drugs in the vehicle, and a search warrant was granted. A package containing a quarter pound of meth was found hidden in the rear bumper of the vehicle.

Sartain agreed to speak without an attorney present and admitted she had gone with Cate to Sandpoint, Idaho, where they drove to a home and picked up the meth.

A sentencing hearing for Sartain has been set for Jan. 16, 2014. 

The next hearing in Cate’s case is set for Jan. 6, 2014. Both are currently incarcerated in the Flathead County Detention Center.