Babb woman admits to trafficking meth

A Babb woman accused of receiving nearly 1 pound of methamphetamine in the mail has admitted to a drug trafficking crime.

According to information from the Department of Justice, Regina Ann Peters, 51, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute meth. Peters faces a mandatory minimum 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and set Peters’ sentencing for Jan. 20, 2022. Peters was released pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in court documents that in October 2020, law enforcement received information about a package of meth mailed to Peters in Babb from Arizona. Officers made a controlled delivery of the package at the Babb post office, and Peters picked up the package. Officers approached Peters outside of the post office and explained their suspicions. Peters agreed to open the package and admitted it contained meth. Peters admitted to knowing about the meth in the package when she went to pick it up and that she had planned to deliver it to another person in Montana.

The package contained about 438 grams of meth, or a little less than one pound. One pound is the equivalent of 3,624 doses.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Russell Country Drug Task Force, the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force, and Montana Highway Patrol.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.