Drug dealer doing business in Flathead headed to federal prison

A California man who admitted trafficking methamphetamine after Flathead County law enforcement officers seized a package containing 3 pounds of the drug was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison.

According to acting U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson, Santiago Marron, 38, of San Bernardino, California, pleaded guilty Jan. 25 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth.

Marron will also serve five years on parole.

In court documents filed in the case, the government alleged that on Dec. 25, 2019, Marron and co-defendant Adan Barjas Bedal dropped off a package at a Flathead County residence. Confidential informants told law enforcement that Marron drove the package to Montana from another state and knew that the package contained meth.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office seized the package pursuant to a Montana search warrant and recovered 3 pounds of meth, the equivalent of 10,872 doses. Co-defendant Bedal was sentenced to 70 months in prison for his conviction in the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force.