Washington man sentenced to 10 years for possessing firearm while intending to distribute fentanyl in Missoula

MISSOULA – A Spokane, Washington, man who was trafficking fentanyl into Montana while armed with handgun was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Patrick William Allen, 55, pleaded guilty in February 2026 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that Allen was a “high-level” supplier of fentanyl in the Missoula area and that he regularly transported illicit drugs into the state from Washington. Investigators learned from an informant on Jan. 23, 2026, that Allen was regularly bringing drugs into the Missoula area and that a week prior the informant had purchased fentanyl from Allen. The following day, investigators learned from a second source that Allen was in Missoula and had checked into the Broadway Inn Hotel. Agents obtained a warrant, went to the room in which Allen was staying, and discovered him there with a woman. Allen told investigators he had a loaded gun in his suitcase, which was sitting open on his bed. More than one-half pound of fentanyl, 39 grams of meth and five grams of crack cocaine, along with $8,200 in cash also was in the room. Allen said it all belonged to him and that the woman was not involved. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities .