Suspected drug dealer sentenced to six years

A federal judge in Missoula sentenced a Kalispell man arrested for trafficking methamphetamine in the Flathead Valley to six years in prison on Thursday.

Prosecutors say Timothy Leo Vleisides, 64, admitted to receiving methamphetamine via mail every other month for about two years when authorities arrested him in 2021. During an Aug. 25, 2021 search of Vleisides’ storage container and vehicle, investigators uncovered a little more than a pound of the drug, two handguns and $35,360 in cash, according to court documents.

Vleisides pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in August of this year.

Vleisides’ stint behind bars will be followed by five years of supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Elliott prosecuted the case, which was overseen by U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen.

The Northwest Drug Task Force investigated the case, which is considered part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.