Jeramiah Kayson Gohde of Belgrade was sentenced on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, after pleading guilty in June to drug trafficking and firearm charges, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.
Gohde, 24, was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for the following charges: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Court documents say Gohde absconded from probation in December 2021 and was found by Bozeman police officers, slumped over the steering wheel of an idling vehicle on the street.
Gohde's probation officer requested a search of the vehicle after officers observed a partially open backpack on the front passenger seat. As officers removed the bag, Gohde allegedly said "there are multiple felonies in there."
The bag contained heroin and meth, and officers also found a short-barreled, modified shotgun with an obliterated serial number in the vehicle, according to court documents. Gohde was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions.
Investigators found that Gohde purchased pounds of meth from suppliers in Seattle, Washington, and Denver, Colorado and was selling drugs to as many as 18 individuals.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court allowed Gohde to self-report to the custody of the Bureau of Prisons.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Missouri River Drug Task Force, Bozeman Police Department, and Montana Probation and Parole.
