Columbia Falls meth maker headed to prison for five-year sentence

A Columbia Falls man is headed to prison for manufacturing methamphetamine.

Jonathan Kemppainen, 35, was sentenced Dec. 12 by District Judge Robert Allison to five years to the Montana Department of Corrections followed by seven years of probation for his conviction on felony operation of an unlawful clandestine laboratory.

A search of Kemppainen’s parents’ property uncovered a great amount of trash related to the manufacture of meth in a dog kennel on the property.

Rachel Kemppainen later told police she purchased the pseudoephedrine for the meth from another person who has also been charged.

As part of a plea agreement, Allison recommended Jonathan be placed in the Connections Corrections Program, a residential chemical dependency treatment program, to be followed by placement at a pre-release center.

An outstanding warrant for his arrest was quashed.